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Factory selling fake salt under popular brand name busted in Nuh

The salt being sold was not refined and was the salt that is used on dead animals to decompose their bodies easily, said a member of the company’s legal team

Updated on: Jan 19, 2024, 06:04:02 IST
By , Gurugram
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The Nuh Police on Wednesday busted a factory for manufacturing and selling counterfeit salt in the name of a major brand, officers aware of the matter said, adding that six suspects, including a factory employee, were arrested. The factory, located on the Punhana-Jamalgarh Road in Nuh, had sold salt worth crores of rupees in the past three years, said investigators.

Police recovered 5.5 quintals of counterfeit salt from the factory, and hundreds of packets of washing powder of several prominent brands. (HT Photo)
Police recovered 5.5 quintals of counterfeit salt from the factory, and hundreds of packets of washing powder of several prominent brands. (HT Photo)

The police said that they were informed about the illegal factory by the Speed Search and Security Networks Pvt Ltd, a legal company working for a major salt manufacturing company. The company filed a police complaint saying that an illegal factory was manufacturing and selling more than 5,000 kilograms of Tata salt in local markets and grocery stores in the Nuh district per month, said investigators.

Nikhil Thakur, field manager of the legal team of Speed Search and Security Networks, said that their field officer reported that fake salt was being sold and supplied in Nuh district. “We conducted an internal inquiry and took a few samples to check the quality, but we were shocked with the outcome. The salt that was being sold was not refined and was the salt that is used on dead animals to decompose their bodies easily,” he said.

He said that the suspects were selling one packet of salt for ₹17, and it used to cost them ₹4. “Our salt is sold for ₹28, but the suspects were offering discounts to capture the market. Since people are scared to visit villages in Nuh, the suspects took advantage of the situation,” he said. The company’s team conducted a survey and collected salt packets from at least 20 shops in Punhana.

Following the complaint, a police team conducted raids at the factory and six grocery shops on Jamalgarh road. “The factory owner has been identified and raids are being conducted to arrest him. He was supplying fake salt to the shopkeepers, who were selling it despite knowing that it was not genuine,” said Narender Bijarniya, superintendent of police of Nuh.

Bijarniya added that hundreds of packets of washing powder of several prominent brands were also recovered from the factory.

A case under sections 63 and 65 of the copyright act 1957 and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at Punhana police station.

  • Leena Dhankhar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Leena Dhankhar

    Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More