Gutka worth Rs 18.9 lakh seized from tempo in Thane; 3 persons booked

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Police in Maharashtra's Thane district has seized banned gutka worth Rs 18.9 lakh concealed beneath bags of cattle feed in a tempo, an official said on Tuesday. The tempo was spotted passing through Mankoli bridge at around 2 pm on Monday, Narpoli police station's assistant police inspector V B Bade said.

When the police stopped the tempo on suspicion and checked it, they found gutka stock of different brands hidden beneath bags of cattle feed in the vehicle, he said. The cattle feed worth Rs 53,600 was also seized and the vehicle impounded, the official said.

A case was registered against three occupants of the tempo, including its driver, under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the FDA regulations, he said. The police was trying to find out from where the stock was sourced and where it was being transported. The sale and consumption of gutka, scented and flavoured tobacco has been banned in Maharashtra since 2012.

In a separate incident, three months after a contractual employee of a state-run electricity distribution company met with an accident and lost both his hands, the Navi Mumbai police have registered a case against three persons, an official said on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old victim, resident of Mumbra area in Maharashtra's Thane district, was under treatment so far. He filed a police complaint after recovering, following which the case was registered on Monday, the official from Turbhe police station said.

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On June 28, the victim was assigned the task of repairing a fault on an electric pole in Pawane village, he said quoting the complaint.

The line man allegedly switched off the wrong power supply breaker, the police said.

When the victim climbed up the pole and touched the wire, there was an explosion. The victim fell down, suffering fractures on his hands and legs and severe injuries on the back of his head, the official said.

Later, during treatment, both his hands were amputated, the police said quoting the complaint.

The complaint blamed the line man, a section engineer and the company (which was given the contract for work) as it had not provided personal protective equipment to the victim for the work, the police said.

Based on the complaint, the police registered the case against the line man, the section engineer and a director of the company under Indian Penal Code Section 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), the official said.

A probe was on into the case, the police added.