Maharashtra: Thane shopkeeper held for stocking banned gutka worth Rs 5.44 lakh

Police in Maharashtrarsquos Thane district has arrested a shopkeeper for allegedly stocking banned gutka worth Rs 544 lakh in his outletNews agency PTI reported quoting an official from Narpoli police station that acting on a tipoff a team of the Food and Drug Administration FDA raided the shop located at Purna village in Bhiwandi area on Saturday and seized the stockIts important to note that the sale and consumption of gutka scented and flavored tobacco have been prohibited in Maharashtra since 2012The 28yearold shopkeeper was arrested and booked under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the FDA regulations the official quoted in the PTI report saidFDA food safety officer Rajendra Kardak who led the raid said the sale of gutka has been rampant at outlets in the district We have been instructed to unearth all such sources and take action against them he addedOn October 22 Gutka and banned tobacco products worth Rs 996 lakh were smuggled in consignments marked as clothes in ThaneAlso read Maharashtra Mahad pharma company fire kills 8 more missingThe matter came to light when an alert godown owner in Bhiwandi received a suspicious consignment from a transporter and he alerted the local police assistant police inspector Somnath KarnavarPatil of the Narpoli police station said reported PTIOn inspection the police recovered banned gutka and tobacco products worth Rs 996 lakh from boxes marked as clothes The goods had arrived between October 29 and November 1 he said reported PTIThe alleged accused packed the banned goods in cartons marked as clothes and showed the consignment as clothing in the tax invoice as well the official said adding that the consignment arrived from Surat in neighbouring Gujarat reported PTIAn offence has been registered under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code Food Security and Standards Act FDA regulations Food Safety amp Standards Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales Regulations and Food Safety amp Standards Food Product Standards and Food Additives Regulations Act he said reported PTIEarlier on October 11 police in Mumbai sezied nearly Rs 16 lakh worth of gutka from a tempo and apprehended one individual in connectionActing on a tipoff the police set up an operation and intercepted the tempo at Pramila Nagar in the Dahisar area on Saturday as stated by the official from MHB police stationThe police successfully seized the illegal gutka and arrested a 31yearold man with the vehicle being impounded the official mentioned Additionally efforts are underway to locate three other associates linked to the accused the official notedThe arrested individual has a history of multiple criminal cases In present case the accused has been charged under pertinent sections of the Indian Penal Code including 328 causing harm by administering poison with intent to commit an offense along with provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act as per the police statement With inputs from PTI