In a major catch, Kurnool Additional SP of Vigilance and Enforcement Sivakoti Babu Rao and Joint Director of Agriculture U. Umamaheswaramma and staff jointly raided the godown of Basil Plant Nutrition at Dinnadevarapadu near Kurnool on Thursday and seized 170 drums of powerful pesticide solvents imported from China and 22 brands of bio-products mixed with chemicals, all worth Rs. 9 crore.
Gajendra, owner of the firm and clerk Jagadish were taken into custody and the package materials, empty plastic bottles, labels of some companies of Hyderabad and Bengaluru, a colour printer and sealing machine were seized, Mr. Babu Rao said. Gajendra of Hyderabad took on lease a poultry farm owned by Guravaiah of Kurnool and started Basil Plant Nutrition and was selling bio-products mixed with pesticides for the last two years, police said, adding that 20 women employed to mix the bio-products with chemical solvents were also questioned. The company licensed to sell micro-nutrients for crops was booked under sections relating to adulteration of bio-products, evasion of sales tax and violation of Trademark Act.