Rs 4 lakh tainted black pepper seized from Begum Bazar; shop owner held

Hyderabad: In an operation by the Task Force, South-East Zone team and Shahinayathgunj police, a large quantity of adulterated black pepper was seized from Vinod Trading Company at the fish market in Begum Bazar.

The company was found selling illegally adulterated black pepper at exorbitant prices to unsuspecting customers. The raid resulted in the seizure of 700 kg of stock, valued at around Rs 4 lakhs, and the arrest of one person, identified as Vinod Kumar Gehlot alias Vinod Gehlot.

Vinod (39) is a resident of Joshiwadi in Begum Bazar and was involved in the illicit business of selling adulterated black pepper mixed with papaya seeds.

According to authorities, Vinod Kumar admitted to purchasing adulterated black pepper from Mysore in Karnataka, at a lower price and has been selling it to customers at market rates to reap profits. Such adulterated products pose significant health risks to consumers.

“The sale of adulterated food products not only cheats consumers of money but also endangers their health. We remain committed to cracking down on such illegal activities to safeguard the well-being of the public,” said A Srinivasa Rao, additional DCP, Task Force, Hyderabad.

Vinod Kumar Gehlot has been booked under relevant sections of the IPC and an investigation is on.

The apprehension and seizure were made under the supervision of S Rashmi Perumal, IPS, DCP, Task Force, Hyderabad. Inspector D Venkat Reddy of the South-East Zone Task Force, along with Inspector L Balu Chowhan of Shahinayathgunj PS, led the operation. Sub-Inspectors M Anantha Chary and P Sai Ram, along with the team of South-East Zone Task Force and Shahinayathgunj Police Station staff, were instrumental in the successful execution of the rai