Hyderabad : Cracking down on food adulteration, a Hyderabad-based shop owner was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly repackaging and selling expired edible oils with falsified labels. Authorities seized 1,014 litres of oil worth approximately ₹1.90 lakh during the raid.
Acting on a tip-off, the South-East Task Force of the Commissioner’s Task Force, in collaboration with Food Safety officials, conducted a raid at Sri Ganesh Balaji Lakkadatar Oil in Sri Krupa Market, Mahbub Mansion, Malakpet. The shop’s proprietor, Ashok Kumar Agarwal (51), a resident of Kachiguda, was found altering expiry dates and batch numbers on oil bottles using chemical whiteners. Officials revealed that Agarwal did not possess a repackaging licence.
The seized stock included 39 five-litre bottles and 27 two-litre bottles of Fresh Heart brand oil with altered expiry stickers, along with 51 large tins (each 15 litres) containing either tampered or missing date labels. Preliminary investigations suggest that Agarwal purchased bulk quantities of edible oil, repackaged them, and manipulated expiry details to sell them as fresh products for profit.
Authorities have confiscated the stock, and the accused has been handed over to the Food Safety Officer, GHMC Malakpet, for further legal proceedings. Officials have urged consumers to remain vigilant and report suspicious food products to prevent such fraudulent practices.
