In a significant crackdown on food adulteration, the Jaipur city police on Sunday dismantled a large-scale counterfeit ghee manufacturing unit operating from the Sarna Dungar area. The raid led to the seizure of approximately 7,500 litres of spurious ghee and the arrest of four individuals involved in the illicit operation.
Raid Uncovers Sophisticated Counterfeiting Operation
The police action was based on specific intelligence gathered by the District Special Branch. A joint team, comprising police officials, food safety officers, and quality control representatives from Saras Dairy, conducted a surprise inspection at the factory located in the Balaji Vihar-A, Mansharampur area of Sarna Dungar.
During the search, officials discovered that the factory was producing fake ghee by mixing essence with vegetable and refined soybean oil. This concoction was then packaged for sale in 15kg tins, 1kg, and 500-gram containers. Shockingly, these packages bore forged labels of several renowned dairy brands, including Saras, Amul, Lotus, Krishna, and Mahan.
Massive Haul of Spurious Product and Packaging
The raid yielded a substantial cache of materials used in the illegal trade. Apart from the 7,500 litres of finished fake ghee, police recovered:
- Around 10 drums of raw material used in manufacturing.
- Approximately 6,000 wrappers of the branded ghee packets.
- Electronic cutters and sealing machines.
- Plastic rolls for packing.
- Replica Agmark labels and other packaging material.
Four men were found actively working inside the unit at the time of the raid. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Hanuman Prasad stated that the accused admitted to producing nearly 2,000 litres of fake ghee daily. They supplied the product to local markets, loading vehicles inside the factory premises to avoid raising suspicion.
Accused Arrested, One Absconding
The police have taken four individuals into custody. The arrested accused have been identified as Rajendra Kumar Gupta (55) of Mathura, Anil Joshi (29) of Gwalior, Bhupendra alias Rupendra Sharma (30) of Gwalior, and Jagdish Sharma (44) of Churu. All were currently residing in Jaipur.
Investigators revealed that a fifth accused, Virendra Sharma, is currently absconding. Efforts are underway to trace and apprehend him. During interrogation, it was also alleged that the unit burned waste material and wrappers in an on-site furnace to destroy evidence.
Legal Action and Ongoing Investigation
Following a formal complaint lodged by Saras Dairy's quality control officer, a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Copyright Act, and the Trade Marks Act.
The investigation is now focused on tracing the complete supply chain and identifying all distributors and retailers involved in this widespread racket that posed a serious risk to public health. This bust highlights the ongoing challenges in ensuring food safety and the need for vigilant monitoring of supply chains.
