Mumbai Crime Branch Unit 6 Arrests 43-Year-Old Key Accused In Gutkha Hoarding Case Worth ₹1.17 Lakh In Govandi's Shivajinagar

Mumbai: The Crime Branch Unit 6 has successfully apprehended the main accused involved in the illegal sale and storage of gutkha in connection with FIR No. 350/2025 registered at Shivajinagar Police Station under Sections 123 and 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with Sections 26(2) and 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The case relates to the illegal hoarding and intent to sell banned gutkha and pan masala products — items considered hazardous and injurious to health — valued at Rs 1,17,600.

The accused has been identified as Mohammad Ghaus Zaroor Ahmad Khan (43), a resident of Gajanan Colony, Abdul Hameed Road, Govandi, Shivajinagar.

According to police, on July 16, 2025, around 2:30 AM, Ghaus and his associate Salman Balb were allegedly found storing banned substances on the roof of a public toilet in Lotus Colony, Shivajinagar, Govandi.

Following reliable intelligence, a team from Unit 6 — including API Chikne, PSI Desai, PC Sarode, and PC Patil — obtained permission from senior officials and laid a trap near Ayyappa Temple, Sector 11, Nerul, Navi Mumbai. Using both technical surveillance and human intelligence, they apprehended the accused at the location.

Upon interrogation, Ghaus confessed to his involvement in the case. After conducting a medical check-up, he was handed over to the Shivajinagar Police for further legal proceedings. Ghaus has a prior record in 2023 under IPC Sections 328, 188, 272, 273 and Section 59 of the Food Safety Act, also registered at Shivajinagar Police Station.