In a shocking disclosure, the Hathras police claimed to have unearthed a unit manufacturing spurious and counterfeit spices of local brands using donkey dung and acid.
Surprisingly, the factory, located in Navipur area, was being run by a Hindu outfit leader.
The cops raided the unit after the local residents tipped them off about the unit and also exerted pressure for quick action in the matter.
The unit’s owner, Anoop Varshney, who is the mandal sah-prabhari of Hindu Yuva Vahini, has been arrested.
Joint magistrate Prem Prakash Meena, under whose supervision the raid was conducted, later said, “We have seized over 300 kg of fake spices being packed in names of some local brands.” He added that during the raid, several spurious ingredients used to prepare the fake spices were found, including donkey dung, hay (bhusa), inedible colours and drums full of acids.
The recovered adulterated spices included coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric and spice mix (garam masala).
More than 27 samples have been sent for tests and an FIR will be registered under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 once the lab report comes, Meena said.
Varshney has been remanded to judicial custody under Section 151 of the Criminal Procedure Code (arrest to prevent the commission of cognisable offences).
Meena told reporters that Varshney was unable to provide a licence for operating the spice factory at the location where it was being run. He also could not produce the licence of the brands which were being packed.
It is also being checked if the ingredients, prepared in the unit for making spurious spices, were supplied to other units in the city too. According to Food and Civil Supplies department officials, the adulterants might prove to be a health hazard, especially if consumed over a long period of time.