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Two arrested in Pune for hoarding, selling masks at hiked prices
Total cost of confiscated masks is estimated to be Rs 4,30,445, said senior inspector Arun Vaykar of Pune Unit 1 crime branch.
PUNE: Crime branch officials on Thursday booked two persons for selling masks at hiked costs in Pune. The officials of Unit 1 raided a godown in Somwar Peth and confiscated 17,805 masks on Thursday.
“Yesterday night [Thursday] Unit 1 officials raided one godown at Narpatgiri chowk and arrested two for black marketing of 17,805 face masks,” said Bachchan Singh, deputy commissioner of police, crime, Pune.
The warehouse in Pavitra Enclave building is owned by Home Link Enterprises. The booked duo was identified as Bhupesh Omprakash Gupta, owner of the store, and office boy Rohan Ajay Shukla, both residents of Pinglevasti near Mundhwa road in Pune. They had been hoarding masks and selling it at a hiked price since March 21, according to the police.
The seized masks included white N-90 masks; yellow N-95; and blue, white and green two-ply surgical masks. The total cost of the masks was estimated to be Rs 4,30,445, said senior inspector Arun Vaykar of Unit 1 crime branch, who is investigating the case.
A case under Sections 3 and 7 of Essential Commodities Act, 1955, along with Section 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code was registered at Samarth police station.
