Hyderabad police intensified efforts to combat adulterated food by confiscating a significant quantity of ice and lassi candies tainted with dangerous chemicals. During a raid at an ice cream parlor in Ahmed Nagar, the Commissioners Taskforce, Golconda Zone Team, in collaboration with Mehdipatnam police, apprehended Syed Musharafuddin, the owner, for producing and distributing ice candies and lassi in unsanitary conditions. The seized materials were valued at Rs 5.44 lakh.
The police revealed that the accused deliberately utilized illicit harmful chemical substances for personal profit. They seized 92 packets of ice candies, each containing 180 pieces, and 20 packets of lassi candies, with 210 candies in each packet. Additionally, 300 glasses of lassi, 15 buckets of curd, 50 kg of sugar, a lassi machine, eight kg of citric acid, 500 grams of sucrose, and other items were confiscated.
An Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ande Srinivas Rao, from the Commissioner’s Task Force, stated that the accused has been charged under sections 274, 275, and 125 of BNS at Mehdipatnam Police Station. This raid is part of the city police’s ongoing efforts to combat food adulteration.
The Telangana government has expressed concern over the increasing incidents of food adulteration. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced plans to implement a specialized system to tackle this issue, similar to the EAGLE and HYDRAA models used to combat drugs and lake encroachments. Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C. Sajjanar warned strict action against those involved in food adulteration, emphasizing the serious threat it poses to households.
Sajjanar praised the Chief Minister’s decision to establish a dedicated food safety system and highlighted the establishment of the ‘H-FAST’ team by the Hyderabad Commissionerate to crackdown on adulteration networks. He emphasized a zero-tolerance policy towards individuals risking lives for profit, with 61 cases registered, 15 tonnes of adulterated products seized, and 64 arrests made in the past month. The fight against food adulteration and the pursuit of safe, reliable food will be unwavering.
