Hyderabad Shop Owner Arrested for Selling Expired Edible Oils
Authorities in Hyderabad have arrested a shop owner for allegedly repackaging and selling expired edible oils with fake labels. During a raid on Tuesday, officials seized 1,014 litres of oil worth around ₹1.90 lakh.
The raid was conducted at Sri Ganesh Balaji Lakkadatar Oil in Sri Krupa Market, Malakpet. Acting on a tip-off, the South-East Task Force, along with Food Safety officials, found that the shop owner, Ashok Kumar Agarwal (51), had been altering expiry dates and batch numbers on oil bottles using chemical whiteners. Officials also discovered that Agarwal did not have 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. Additionally, there were 51 large tins (each 15 litres) with either tampered or missing expiry labels. Investigators believe that Agarwal purchased edible oil in bulk, repackaged it, and changed the expiry details to sell it as fresh oil for profit.
Authorities have confiscated the oil stock, and the accused has been handed over to the Food Safety Officer at GHMC Malakpet for further legal action. Officials have urged consumers to stay alert and report any suspicious food products to help prevent such fraudulent activities.
