Fake packaged water racket busted in Shakurpur, 2 held

The Delhi Police on Sunday busted a counterfeit Bisleri bottle racket operating in northwest Delhi’s Shakurpur area and arrested two men.

The accused have been identified as Sikander (30) and Ashish (19), both residents of Shakurpur. They were allegedly manufacturing and selling fake bottles using forged packaging of the brand, endangering public health and violating intellectual property rights.

The police carried out a raid following a complaint from representatives of Bisleri regarding the unauthorised use of their brand packaging.

“The duo had set up an illegal bottling and packaging unit to market counterfeit water bottles using fake Bisleri labels, caps and barcodes,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) Bhisham Singh in an official statement.

During two separate raids in the area, the police recovered 26 twenty-litre water bottles bearing fake stickers, along with 127 counterfeit brand labels, 387 fake barcodes, 55 caps and seven heater guns and lighters used in the labelling process.

During interrogation, the accused confessed that they had been operating the fake bottling racket since last year. The water used in the fake bottles was sourced illegally through unauthorised boring, allegedly facilitated by a third accused, Vishal Gupta. Legal proceedings have been initiated against him under sections of the Environment Protection Act.