Fake branded clothes all over city

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana November 10

Branded clothes (even of international firms) are not only being manufactured, but being sold with impunity in the city markets. The connivance of politicians, police officials and big industrialists, too, cannot be ruled out.

Ludhiana Police Commissioner Sukhchain Singh Gill, on being asked whether manufacturers or sellers of these fake branded clothes could face any legal action, said: “The police have not received any complaint against any manufacturer or seller, due to which no action is being taken. The police have otherwise no direct role in this, but if any complaint is received, then we can verify and take action under the purview of law only.”

Sources maintained that the police had registered several cases against the manufactures of fake branded clothes of CK, LV, Chanel, Tommy, Superdry, Adidas, Puma, Nike, US Polo and Levis among others and not only this, cases were registered against hosiery owner under the Copy Right Act, Trademark Act, and under Section 420 (cheating) of the IPC in the past. These cases were registered on the complaint of the representatives of branded companies.

Sources even confirmed that this fake brand business is being running openly in the industrial hub and has also been evading huge taxes of the government. If a customer goes to buy any branded cloth, he/she will also not get the bill about the detail of the products sold.

A seller of fake branded jeans near the Clock Tower requesting anonymity said the youth today want to wear branded clothes than the locally manufactured ones, due to which these products are flooding the market. The connivance of the police officials, other government officials concerned and even politicians cannot be ruled out. “Fake branded clothes use the insignia of the brand, while the product remains sub-standard. Duplicate clothes will have rough finish, plethora of colour choices, light weight, poor accessories,” he adds.

He said a branded track suit which will cost around Rs 10,000 from an exclusive showroom can be bought for Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 from Ludhiana markets.

“We even sell duplicate brand to genuine customers sometimes at a branded company price by making them believe that it is an original brand and we earn huge profit. Several city markets have a stock of duplicate clothes worth several crores lying with them and retailers from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal among other places come here daily to buy duplicate branded clothes on wholesale rates,” a retailer told The Tribune.

City markets figure in online search forums 

During an online search on ‘Quora’ it was found that there are several places in the city, from where these products can be bought like Chaura Bazar, AC market, Minerva, Akalgarh Market, Sarabha Nagar, Ferozepur Road, around Clock Tower, Ghumar Mandi and Mochpura Bazaar among others. Not only this, these products are being manufactured at Manna Singh Nagar, Bahadur K Road, Madhopuri, Bhamian Road, Rahon Road, Focal Point, Haibowal and New Madhopuri among others. Products include t-shirts, jeans, pyjama, jackets, shorts, track suits, under garments, etc.