Crime branch busts milk adulteration racket, 4 held

The main accused, Telangana native Ramullu Boddupalli, was arrested from Andheri, while milk distributor Bhiksmaya Ghanta was arrested from Dahisar. Two other accused, Saidulu Jangali and Yadayya Batullu, were arrested from Kurar

MUMBAI: The Mumbai police crime branch has busted a milk adulteration racket and arrested four people, including the main accused who allegedly printed logos of Amul and Gokul, two well-known milk brands, on empty pouches and sold these to distributors for ₹2.5 each. Distributors would then fill the empty pouches with adulterated milk and sell these to customers, police officers familiar with the matter told Hindustan Times.

Crime branch busts milk adulteration racket, 4 held

Acting on a tip-off, the crime branch raided a location in Dahisar earlier this week and found a milk distributor adulterating milk by adding a litre of water to one litre of milk and filling the contents into pouches printed by the main accused.

“The accused drained genuine milk pouches by making a small hole and resealed them after filling the pouches with adulterated milk. They also filled adulterated milk in pouches supplied by the main accused,” said Navnath Dhavale, Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime branch).

The main accused, Telangana native Ramullu Boddupalli, was arrested from Andheri, while milk distributor Bhiksmaya Ghanta was arrested from Dahisar. Two other accused, Saidulu Jangali and Yadayya Batullu, were arrested from Kurar.

“We have seized milk, pouches of milk brands of Amul Taaza, Amul Gold and Gokul,” said Dhavale.

Upon interrogating Boddupalli, the police learnt that he had purchased a printer worth ₹10 lakh using which he printed logos of popular milk brands on plastic pouches. Boddupalli had allegedly been adulterating milk since 2021 and he had set up a unit in the Waliv Phata locality in Vasai.

“Boddupalli sold at least 1,000 pouches with fake logos every day. With each pouch priced at ₹2.5, he made ₹2,500 daily,” a police officer familiar with the case said, requesting anonymity. The printer used by the accused had been seized, the officer added.

The accused in the case have been booked under sections 274 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale), 345 (property mark), 347 (punishment for counterfeiting a property mark), 318 (cheating) and 336 (forgery) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and various sections of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.