Raiding team locked up by sweet shop owner
In blatant disrespect for law and order, Jaspal Singh, the owner of Sharma Sweets in Model Town, not only denied giving samples of sweets to a team deputed by the deputy commissioner, but also locked the raiding team inside his eatery on Tuesday evening.
In blatant disrespect for law and order, Jaspal Singh, the owner of Sharma Sweets in Model Town, not only denied giving samples of sweets to a team deputed by the deputy commissioner, but also locked the raiding team inside his eatery on Tuesday evening.
The team comprised senior officials, including district revenue officer (DRO) Mukesh Sharma, district health officer (DHO)Dr Abnash Kumar, food safety officers Ravinder Pal Garg and Yogesh Goyal and staff from the offices of civil surgeon and district public relations.
The incident took place around 4:30 pm when the raiding team asked the sweetmeat shop owner to allow them to take samples.
"However, Jaspal Singh started shouting and refused to give any samples saying that this was no way to conduct checks. I even gave him the number of the deputy commissioner, Rajat Agarwal, making it clear that the team had been constituted by him, but he refused to pay heed. When we insisted, he closed the shutters of his outlet locking the team members inside," DRO Mukesh Sharma said.
The team then called their colleagues standing outside, who further sounded the police. It was only after the intervention of additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Sukhpal Singh Brar that the team members were let out.
Interestingly, the Model Town police station is at a mere distance of 100 metres from the shop where the incident occurred. It is pertinent to mention her that samples collected from this shop last year had failed tests.
"We have given an application to the police so that a case is registered under relevant sections against the owner of the sweetmeat shop," Sharma added.
Inspector Inderjeet Singh from Model Town police station said, "We haven't received any written complaint till now. Action will be taken after receiving a complaint."
Samples collected from reputed sweets shops
Earlier in the day, the team collected samples from several reputed sweet shops on Tuesday. The team collected six samples from Khushi Ram and Sons; four samples from Dhodha Sweets, Ghumar Mandi; and three samples each from Lovely Sweets and Sharma Sweets.
The samples will be sent to a laboratory Chandigarh to check for adulteration and further action would be taken after reports, said DHO Dr Abnash Kumar.
