Fake Cow Ghee Factory Busted in Surat, Chemicals Mixed in Soybean Oil Sold as Pure Ghee

Surat: Surat, known as the diamond and textile city, has once again caught in a big network of adulteration in food items. The police have busted a scam run by two people by raiding a thriving fake ghee factory in ‘Avsar Plaza’ in the city’s Umra Velanja area. This gang had been mixing chemicals in soybean oil and dalda for the last one and a half years and serving poison to people’s kitchens by calling it ‘pure cow ghee’.

Based on specific information received by the Uttaran police, an investigation was conducted in Avsar Plaza in the Umra Velanja area. During the investigation, suspicious activities were seen in shop numbers 106 and 108 on the first floor of the plaza. When the police raided, it was found that shop number 106 had been converted into a factory with modern machinery, while the shop next door (108) was used as a store room for storing finished goods.

According to the interrogation of the accused and evidence found at the spot, the method of making this fake ghee was extremely shocking. First, soybean oil and dalda ghee were heated in large pots. A dangerous essence (chemical syrup) was added to it to give it a smell like real ghee. Artificial colouring was used to give it a natural yellow colour like cow’s ghee to deceive the customers. After this mixture was prepared, it was packed in boxes with stickers of well-known brands like ‘Shri Sahajanand’ and ‘Shri Gajanand’.

The police have seized items worth a total of 4,94,940 during the raid, including 583 liters of ready-made fake ghee (worth more than ₹3.50 lakh), 2200 empty and filled cans (small and large sizes), a large quantity of soybean oil and dalda cans, packing equipment like sealing machine, weighing fork, thermometer and gas cylinder.

The police investigation has revealed that this scam was going on continuously for the last 18 months. Two main conspirators are involved in this case. Nihar Bharatbhai Movaliya (age 32) who was working in supplying and selling ready-made fake ghee in the local markets of Surat. The police have detained him. Piyush Vitthalbhai Sangani (age 30) who was in charge of the entire manufacturing unit. He is currently out of police custody and teams have been dispatched to arrest him.

Surat police have filed an FIR in this matter and are planning to send the seized ghee samples to the FSL and Food and Drugs Department for testing. An investigation has also been intensified to find out to which traders this fake ghee has been sold. Consumers should insist on its packing, hologram and proper bill while buying ghee from the market. Ghee available at very cheap prices can prove to be fatal to your health.