The youth today are showing an increased interest in branded clothing due to the growth of e-marketing. However, in their pursuit of profit, several shops in the city are deceiving customers by selling fake branded clothes.
The city is currently facing a significant issue where a large-scale operation involving the sale of counterfeit branded clothing is being carried out in prominent stores. Recently, a substantial crackdown was conducted in Itwari, confiscating hundreds of jeans and T-shirts. This action has triggered a state of fear among garment traders in Nagpur.
A complaint was lodged with the police stating that several shops in the city were selling counterfeit clothing under the guise of renowned brands. After obtaining clearance from senior police officials two days ago, four shops in Itwari were subjected to a raid, during which a substantial quantity of fake jeans and T-shirts were seized. These clothing items were labelled with prominent brand names and were being sold at a similar price point.
During the police raids, several shops in the area including Deepa Readymade (with 178 seized jeans), Bhandar, and Maa Mahalaxmi Garments (111 seized items), Monish Garments (106 seized items), and Sharda Garments (125 seized items) were found to be selling counterfeit clothing under the guise of Levi's brand clothing. The police also seized a significant quantity of fake T-shirts along with the jeans.
According to sources, the affected company has enlisted several agencies to monitor the sale of counterfeit goods under their brand name throughout the country. Siddesh Shirke, who is a nodal officer at Netrika Consulting India, an agency based in Mumbai, received information about the sale of fake branded clothing in Nagpur. After verifying the tip-off, he reported the matter to senior officials of the Nagpur Police, leading to the busting of the counterfeit racket.