Central Zone Task Force team of Hyderabad police, along with the local police, nabbed a gang of four involved in manufacturing adulterated ginger and garlic paste. The police nabbed 72-year-old Panduranga Rao, a businessman from Patigadda, Begumpet, who colluded with 36-year-old Raheem Charaniya, the proprietor of Deccan Traders in making adulterated ginger and garlic paste. The gang was supplying the same in the market with the help of 43-year-old Ajay Kumar Aheer, and 29-year-old Pradeep Sankla, said the police, who seized ₹5 lakh worth materials from them.
Police first nabbed Panduranga Rao based on a tip-off. He led them to the adulterated manufacturing and trading unit situated at Upperpally in Rajendranagar. The seized quantity included 700 kilograms of ginger and garlic paste, 625 kilograms of low grade raw garlic, 100 kilograms of low grade raw ginger, 150 kilograms of crystal salt, unknown liquid, powder, chemical tins and 20 kilograms of decomposed ginger and garlic paste.
The prime accused, Raheem Charaniya, a native of Gujarat, moved to Hyderabad and started a business with the label Deccan Traders. “To gain easy money, he illegally established a manufacturing unit situated at Upperpally and started preparing adulterated ginger and garlic paste by using undisclosed/unnamed chemical, red powder for colour and citric acid, spurious components. The same was being supplied to various general stores as genuine products,” explained the police.
