Mumbai: Milk Adulteration Racket Busted in Andheri; Seven Booked for Mixing Water in Branded Milk Packets

The Versova Police have busted a milk adulteration racket in Andheri West, where a gang was found tampering with packets of reputed milk brands and endangering public health. In a joint operation, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Versova Police detained seven persons, including two women, in connection with the case.

The raid was conducted on December 31 between 5.45 am and 3.30 pm at multiple rooms—Nos. 28, 57, 77, 78, 9 and 21—located in the Navjeevan Nagar Residents Welfare Association area near St Louis Road and Hanuman Temple at Four Bungalows. During the operation, officials discovered that milk from sealed packets of well-known brands such as Amul and Gokul was being removed and replaced with unhygienic water.

Investigations revealed that original milk was poured into empty packets of brands including Amul Taza, Amul Gold, Amul A-2, Gokul Satvik and Gokul Classic, after which water was mixed into it. The packets were then improperly resealed and sold, thereby cheating consumers.

The FDA’s Joint Commissioner (Mumbai Division) had received confidential information about the adulteration racket on December 30. Acting on the tip-off, a joint team of FDA officials and Versova Police, under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Deepshikha Ware, carried out the raid and caught the accused red-handed.

The accused have been identified as Ravi Anjayya Kalimara (46), Venkayya Yadayya Bairu (40), Jawaji Srinivas (38), Ramlingayya Lingayya Gajji (49), Narsimha Ramchandra Kolapalli (50), Rajani Bhaskar Batula (35) and Manjula Ramesh Jawaji (39), all residents of Navjeevan Nagar in Andheri West.

A case has been registered against them under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 274 (adulteration of food), 345 (property mark), 347(1) (forgery of property mark) and 3(5), along with applicable provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.