Fake tur dal mill raided, gutkha material worth ₹25 lakh seized: kalburgi police

By Coovercolly Indresh

A tur dal mill manufacturing fake gutka was raided on Sunday night, Kalburgi sub-urban police said adding that they seized gutka material worth ₹25 lakhs and arrested 19 people in connection with the raid.

According to officers, the sub-urban police and food safety officers acting on tip off jointly raided the tur dal mill situated at Kapanur on the outskirts of Kalburgi city .

“Acting on definite information we have raided the Tur dal mill on the outskirts of the city and recovered thousands of pouches of fake Manikchand Gutkha,’’ sub urban police inspector Ramesh Kamble told HT.

He said the fake unit has been in operation for many months. The accused sold fake gutkha to northern states and the original company incurred lakhs of rupees loss. We have informed Manickchand Gutkha manufacturing company and they have informed that they will send their officers soon. The prime accused, owner of the mill is absconding after the raid and we have launched a search operation him, the inspector added.

Police said that 19 people from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar were arrested and one goods vehicle which was used to transport gutkha was seized. The police also recovered gutkha pouches, manufacturing machinery and gutkha raw materials worth over ₹25 lakhs.

According to the police, initial investigations revealed that the illegal manufacturing unit belongs to Ghulam Ahmed, a resident of Matamber village, Bhalki taluk, Bidar district. The sub urban police station has registered a case under IPC 269 (unlawful activity) 270( Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 285 (negligent conduct) 336,(rash act endanger human life) 420 (fraud), 468(committing forgery), 476(counterfeiting ) and IPC 149(unlawful assembly ) and a case was also registered under 7 COPTA Act

The arrested are Vijaya Buddu, Raju Gansa, Monu Gakar, Abhikumar Sivaprasada, Taufiq Ashinkhan, Pradesh Mohan, Shivakumar Shukumar, Shahil Shakeel, Ramulu Suresh, Sumarin Rakesh, Shashipal Diwarilal, Ramasagar Jagadisha, Priyamal Harnam, Munjit Kumar Sureshkumar, Shahbad Khan who worked in the Gutka manufacturing unit. The gutka was prepared by mixing ingredients in Tur dal mill.

This article has been republished from The Hindustan Times