The law will come down heavily on food adulterators; a crucial modification in the rulebook will make it difficult for persons accused of pilferage to seek bail.
The Prevention of Food Adulteration(Maharashtra Amendment) Act 2006, which aims at curtailing food and milk adulteration in Maharashtra, came into force last week. “Earlier it was easy for accused persons to secure bail. But after the amendment, adulteration has become a non-bailable and cognisable offence. Now the accused persons have to be produce before a magistrate who will decide whether to grant bail or otherwise,” said Suhas Choudhary, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Joint Commissioner.
Last year, FDA officials conducted 25 raids. During recent raids last week at Bandra (E) and Kurla (W), the FDA arrested three people with adulterated milk. Nearly 400 litres of adulterated milk, valued at Rs 7,000 was seized. Three persons Sanjay V. Nomla (30), Nagesh C. Khadari (25) and Ravi Y. Singam (20) were arrested for the possession of spurious milk, following a tip-off.
The trio would buy approximately 100 milk pouches of various brands like Gokul, Aarey, Mahananda, Govind, Dwarka, Kisan and Amul Taaza. They would later break the seal, remove 50 per cent of the milk and add water to it, seal it and resale the pouches.
FDA RAIDS
April 2007 - January 2008:
• 25: Raids on adulterators.
• 4000 litres: Adulterated milk seized.
• 80,500: Value of milk seized.
• 46: Persons arrested.
• Earlier it was easy for accused persons to secure bail. But after the amendment, adulteration has become a non-bailable and cognisable offence. Now the accused persons have to be produce before a magistrate who will decide whether to grant bail or otherwise –– Suhas Choudhary, FDA Joint Commissioner
http://www.mumbaipluses.com/andheri...0122130446734f46eeb03§xslt=&comments=true
The Prevention of Food Adulteration(Maharashtra Amendment) Act 2006, which aims at curtailing food and milk adulteration in Maharashtra, came into force last week. “Earlier it was easy for accused persons to secure bail. But after the amendment, adulteration has become a non-bailable and cognisable offence. Now the accused persons have to be produce before a magistrate who will decide whether to grant bail or otherwise,” said Suhas Choudhary, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Joint Commissioner.
Last year, FDA officials conducted 25 raids. During recent raids last week at Bandra (E) and Kurla (W), the FDA arrested three people with adulterated milk. Nearly 400 litres of adulterated milk, valued at Rs 7,000 was seized. Three persons Sanjay V. Nomla (30), Nagesh C. Khadari (25) and Ravi Y. Singam (20) were arrested for the possession of spurious milk, following a tip-off.
The trio would buy approximately 100 milk pouches of various brands like Gokul, Aarey, Mahananda, Govind, Dwarka, Kisan and Amul Taaza. They would later break the seal, remove 50 per cent of the milk and add water to it, seal it and resale the pouches.
FDA RAIDS
April 2007 - January 2008:
• 25: Raids on adulterators.
• 4000 litres: Adulterated milk seized.
• 80,500: Value of milk seized.
• 46: Persons arrested.
• Earlier it was easy for accused persons to secure bail. But after the amendment, adulteration has become a non-bailable and cognisable offence. Now the accused persons have to be produce before a magistrate who will decide whether to grant bail or otherwise –– Suhas Choudhary, FDA Joint Commissioner
http://www.mumbaipluses.com/andheri...0122130446734f46eeb03§xslt=&comments=true