Mumbai: The Pant Nagar police have seized banned gutkha products worth over Rs12 lakh during a crackdown on illegal tobacco transportation in Ghatkopar East. A case has been registered against the accused, identified as Sudhirkumar Vishnu Ram, 42, a resident of Kamlesh Nagar slum area in Mira Road, Thane.
According to the FIR, the complainant in the case is Manisha Shivaji Gunjal, 31, an Food Safety Officer with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Mumbai. Her jurisdiction includes the ‘N’ Ward area of Ghatkopar East.
As per police officials, on May 6 at around 10 am, Pant Nagar Police Sub-Inspector Ravindra Gaikwad received information about a tempo carrying banned gutkha on the Ghatkopar-Andheri Link Road. Acting on the tip-off, police intercepted and seized the vehicle (MH-47-AS-8404).
Gunjal, along with an FDA team, later visited Pant Nagar police station to inspect the seized consignment. Police had brought the tempo into the station premises and sealed it. The driver, Sudhirkumar Ram, was taken into custody.
During the operation, police seized banned tobacco products collectively valued at Rs12,01,404. The haul included scented tobacco, Vimal pan masala, Vimal kesar pan masala and other prohibited gutkha products.
Authorities stated that the sale, storage, manufacture, transportation and distribution of gutkha, pan masala and scented tobacco products are prohibited in Maharashtra. Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had violated government notifications enforcing the ban.
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During questioning, the accused allegedly failed to provide details regarding the source or purchase of the seized stock. Officials from the FDA collected four pouch samples from each product batch for informal analysis.
The Pant Nagar police have registered an offence under Sections 26(2)(i), 26(2)(iv), 27(3)(e), read with Sections 3(1)(zz)(iii) and 59 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, along with Sections 123, 223, 274 and 275 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act. Further investigation is underway.
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