Continuous raids on duplicate gutkha godowns by the city police have borne results. A team of Bada Bazar police raided one such godown in Phullasundari Street and another multistoried building located at Alakapuri third line and seized huge quantities of duplicate ghutka and other tobacco products along with gutkha manufacturing as well as packing machines worth Rs20 lakh.
Sadar Station police played a crucial role in the surprise raid. According to information available, one Rabindra Kumar Badtiya had taken a multistoried building on rent in Alakapuri area and resorted to such illegal ghutka and tobacco products business since last six months.
Residents informed the local police suspecting manufacturing of ghutka in the building. Police broke open the lock of the building early in the morning of Friday in the presence of the Magistrate Raj Kishore Pattnaik. They seized huge quantities of duplicate gutkha.
On interrogation, the house owner said that he had given the building on rent to one Badtiya and is ignorant about such illegal gutkha business in the building. Badtiya was illegally using the logo of a well known brand “Gopaljee” used to manufacture its duplicate brand.
However, during the police raid the concerned business man managed to escape unnoticed.
In another significant development, the ADJ Court has rejected the bail application of five of the business men who were engaged in illegal gutkha business and were in jail since long.