Delhi Police seize 1,500 kg of counterfeit ‘desi ghee’ in Alipur raid

Delhi Police dismantled a large-scale operation producing counterfeit ‘desi ghee’ in the Alipur area, seizing 1,500 kg of fake clarified butter and 55 litres of synthetic essence used in its preparation, officials said on Thursday.

According to the police, acting on a specific tip on Tuesday, a team from the Outernorth district raided the Bansal Agro Food Industries premises in Kheda Kalan, the official said.

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“The factory was engaged in producing and packaging counterfeit desi ghee under several popular brand names to distribute it across Delhi and neighbouring states,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outernorth) V. Hareshwar Swami said in a statement.

He stated that officials from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) were involved after the initial tip-off, and a joint team carried out the raid in accordance with the legal procedures under the new law.

“During the search, the team discovered large quantities of counterfeit ghee ready for distribution, stored in tins, cartons, and packets. The FSSAI also seized samples for laboratory testing,” the DCP said.

The police stated that the unit was run by Gyanendra Singh, a resident of Burari, who has reportedly been involved in producing counterfeit desi ghee since 1995 and moved his operations to the current location in 2014.

“Singh distributed the product across the national capital and neighbouring states. The seizure included 50 tins of 15 litres each, 10 cartons containing 30 packets of 500 ml each, nine cartons of 1 litre each, two tins of another brand of 15 litres each, 21 tins of 15 litres each, eight tins of 15 litres each, and 11 plastic cans of 5 litres each, all containing synthetic essence.

An FIR has been filed, and an investigation into the matter has been initiated. The raid was conducted under the supervision of Joint Commissioner of Police (Northern Range) Vijay Singh.