Aurangabad, Nov 26:
The crime branch on Thursday raided Batco Transport and seized Gutkha amounting Rs 24,60,540, banned in the state and brought from other state to sell at various shops in the city. A case has been registered against the transport Hanif Abdul Rehman Patni (43, Times Colony) manager and one other Nadim Shaikh at the Jinsi police station. The police have arrested Hanif.
Crime branch officers said, the police received information through the informer that Gutkha was brought from another state at the Batco Transport at Old Mondha area. Under the guidance of ACP, Suresh Wankhede, PI Anil Gaikwad, a team including API Ajabsingh Jarwal, Shivaji Zine, Prakash Chavan, Rajendra Salunke, Viresh Bane, Vitthal Sure and Bhavsingh Chavan along with the Food and Drug Administration officer M M Phalke, H V Kulkarni and Shriram Tapre conducted a raid on Batco Transport on Thursday afternoon. The police found Gutkha worth Rs 24,60,540 in gunny bags in the godown of the transport. During interrogation, Hanif said that Gutkha worth Rs 9 lakh owned by Nadim Shaikh came from Indore on Thursday morning. However, he could not produce the information of the owner or any documents of the remaining Gutkha. It is the responsibility of Hanif as the manager to maintain the records of the goods coming to the transport. However, he did not produce the information. A case has been registered against him at the Jinsi police station. PI, V M Kendre is further investigating the case.