Hyderabad: Police arrested a 68-year-old man in Secunderabad for manufacturing and selling adulterated ghee, following a raid conducted by the Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force and Market Police.
The accused, Annamali Sainathan, a former tiffin shop owner, was caught preparing spurious ghee at his residence in Second Bazar. Officials seized 200 kilograms of adulterated ghee, a weighing machine, packing machine, packaging material, and a mobile phone — all worth ₹1.5 lakh.
Fake cow ghee sold at ₹600 per kg
Police said Sainathan used plant-based oils including coconut oil, palm oil, dalda, and food colouring to make fake cow ghee. He sold the product in one-litre poly packs for ₹600 each in the local market and pooja stores, falsely marketing it as pure cow ghee.
Facing financial distress after shutting down his tiffin centre near Monda Market, Sainathan reportedly turned to the illegal trade to earn money. Police charged him under Cr. No. 217/2025 U/s 274, 318(4) BNS at Market PS.
Authorities warned that such adulterated products pose serious health risks and urged the public to remain vigilant while buying ghee.
Public appeal: Verify labels and report suspicions
Officials advised buyers not to purchase ghee that is loose, unlabelled, or lacks proper packaging details. The public is encouraged to report suspicious food items by calling 100 or informing local police or GHMC officials.
The raid was led by North Zone Task Force Inspector K. Chandra Shekar, Market SHO V. Ramchander, and SI Sai Nath Reddy, under the supervision of DCP Gaikwad Vaibhav Raghunath, IPS.