The seized materials included the paste and raw ingredients like low-quality garlic and ginger, crystal salt, and decomposed substances.
Published Feb 28, 2024 | 10:12 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 28, 2024 | 10:13 PM
Four accused with the seized adulterated food items. (Supplied)
In a crackdown on food adulteration, the Hyderabad police’s Central Task Force on Wednesday, 28 February, apprehended four people for producing and selling adulterated ginger and garlic paste in Rajendernagar.
The cops said they cops began the operation — acting on a tip-off — by arresting Panduranga Rao (72), a resident of Begumpet. He was found in possession of adulterated ginger and garlic paste.
Rao’s interrogation reportedly led the authorities to a manufacturing and trading storehouse located at Upper Pally in the Rajendranagar area of the city.
The cops said the unit was operated by Raheem Charaniya (36), the proprietor of Deccan Traders.
Subsequent raids on two shops at Begum Bazar resulted in the arrest of marketing agents, Ajay Kumar Aheer (43) and Pradeep Sankla (29), said the police.
As per the police, Charaniya, who is a native of Gujarat, set up an illicit manufacturing unit to produce adulterated ginger and garlic paste using secretive chemicals and spurious components.
The paste, marketed as genuine, was distributed to various general stores across Telangana and other states by agents like Rao, Aheer, and Sankla, said the cops.
The seized materials included large quantities of adulterated paste, alongside raw ingredients such as low-quality garlic and ginger, crystal salt, and decomposed substances.
The cops also confiscated the manufacturing and packing machinery used in the illicit operation, amounting to an estimated worth of ₹5 lakh.
As per the authorities, the adulterated food items contained a red-coloured chemical, produced by citric acid. It had the potential to cause severe health complications upon consumption, they added.
Raheem Charaniya and his accomplices face charges related to food adulteration, illegal trading, and endangering public health.
