Food Adulterators In Hyderabad Will Now Face Tougher Criminal Charges

Food adulteration in Hyderabad is no longer being treated merely as a regulatory violation, with police warning that those who deliberately mix hazardous substances into food could face tougher criminal charges, including Section 110 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) - an attempt to commit culpable homicide - and, in appropriate cases, preventive detention under the PD Act.

Speaking to NDTV Hyderabad Joint CP (SB) and North Zone Joint Commissioner SM Vijay Kumar said the police would adopt a stringent approach against those knowingly endangering consumers.

"The accused knowingly mixed hazardous substances into food products despite being aware of the consequences. Consumption of such products could result in serious health complications, including cancer, making the offence far graver than ordinary adulteration," Vijay Kumar said.

Depending on the evidence and consequences, offenders could face provisions including culpable homicide not amounting to murder under Section 105 BNS or attempt to commit culpable homicide under Section 110 BNS.

Police have also warned that repeat offenders and organised food-adulteration networks could face preventive detention under the Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, which specifically lists "Food Adulteration Offender" as a category.

The warning has a greater significance after a fresh citywide crackdown in which the Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST), along with food safety officials, inspected 130 establishments and seized around 36 tonnes of adulterated ghee, raw materials and chemical additives.

The seizure included 25.5 tonnes of adulterated ghee, 8.7 tonnes of cream, 1,200 litres of palm oil, 600 litres of vanaspati, starch and artificial ghee flavouring agents.

Police said some manufacturers allegedly used cheaper non-milk ingredients and artificial flavours to produce synthetic ghee and marketed it as "100% Pure Ghee", "Premium Ghee", "Farm Fresh Ghee" and "Natural Ghee".

The crackdown follows another major operation earlier this month in which 25.3 tonnes of spices and nearly 89 tonnes of raw materials were seized from 13 establishments. Three persons were arrested after investigators allegedly found industrial cloth dyes, synthetic colours, talcum powder and rice-bran oil being used to enhance the colour, shine, weight and market value of spices.

Police registered three FIRs in the spice case. Importantly, Hyderabad Police said Section 110 BNS was invoked, treating the alleged deliberate use of hazardous substances as potentially amounting to an attempt to commit culpable homicide.

The wider H-FAST campaign has already resulted in 659 raids, 202 FIRs and nearly 246 tonnes of suspected adulterated or contaminated food seized in 140 days, with 232 cases referred to the Food Safety authorities.

The seizures have included 27.02 tonnes of ginger-garlic paste, more than 12 tonnes of rotten chicken and mutton, around 60 tonnes of chicken waste, 25.8 tonnes of chemically ripened fruits, 9.2 tonnes of adulterated pickles and 3.8 tonnes of suspected adulterated tea powder.