Authorities have shut down a network that was making and selling fake Mysore sandal soap, a popular product made by the Karnataka government. The operation took place in Hyderabad and they found counterfeit goods worth about Rs 2 crore, including fake soap and boxes for packaging.
The people behind this illegal operation, Rakesh Jain and Mahaveer Jain from Hyderabad, have been arrested for forgery. The investigation started when someone called Minister M. B. Patil, who is also the president of Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), to report the presence of fake Mysore sandal soap in Hyderabad. Minister Patil told the Managing Director of KSDL, Dr. Prashant, to look into it.
After further investigation, KSDL staff found the fake soap being sold in different parts of Hyderabad. They bought counterfeit products worth one lakh rupees to trace where they came from. During the Sankranti festival, when demand was high, they ordered Rs 25 lakh worth of soap. They pretended to transport the goods and went to the production location where they found a fake manufacturing unit.
They seized 20 carton boxes of 150 g soaps (1,800 pieces), 47 carton boxes of 75 g soaps (9,400 pieces), and 400 empty carton boxes for both sizes of soap packs. The police complaint says that the counterfeit unit was making 400 carton boxes.
Minister Patil is dedicated to making KSDL products more popular nationally and internationally. He wants the people responsible for this to face legal consequences. The government will keep prioritizing the authenticity and integrity of its products. They will crack down on counterfeit operations to protect consumers and the reputation of Karnataka’s famous products.
