Shop owner held for sale of pest control chemicals

The Versova police, investigating the death of siblings Rameez and Rehab Choughule, have arrested the owner of a Borivli-based shop from where the chemicals used for conducting pest control were bought.

The Versova police, investigating the death of siblings Rameez and Rehab Choughule, have arrested the owner of a Borivli-based shop from where the chemicals used for conducting pest control were bought.

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It is alleged that the duo died because of exposure to aluminium phosphide after their house at Yari Road in Andheri was fumigated.

Police said Rukhsana Amlekar, the pest control contractor who carried out the exercise, should not have got the chemicals because she did not have the required permission.

Pratap Dighavkar, deputy commissioner of police (zone 9), said, "To buy chemicals for pest control, one needs permission from the joint director of agriculture. Amlekar, who is currently in police custody, did not have the permission. So, selling the chemicals to her was in violation of the law."

Amlekar will be presented before the local court for further custody on Tuesday.