Attempt to Murder Rap on Food Adulterators: Sajjanar

Hyderabad: In a major crackdown on those compromising public health, city police commissioner V.C. Sajjanar on Wednesday warned of food adulteration, stating that such crimes would henceforth be treated on par with “attempt to murder”.

Chairing a high-level preparatory meeting with the food safety department officials at the TGICCC in Banjara Hills, Sajjanar announced the deployment of special joint task force teams to root out the “adulteration monster” from the city.

“We do not consider food adulteration a minor offence; it is an attempt to kill. Our teams will not just target roadside vendors but will strike at the very source, the manufacturing hubs,” the commissioner asserted.

To ensure watertight enforcement, Sajjanar directed the formulation of a Special Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). This SOP will provide a clear framework for inspections, sample collection, seizures, and arrests to ensure that legal proceedings are handled without any implications.

The commissioner warned that traders must strictly adhere to quality standards, adding that repeat offenders would face permanent cancellation of business licences. He further made it clear that the police would not hesitate to invoke the dreaded Preventive Detention (PD) Act against the "counterfeiting mafia" endangering public health.

To involve the community, the city police will soon launch a dedicated WhatsApp number and a toll-free helpline for citizens to report suspected adulteration; he assured that the identity of informants would be kept strictly confidential.

The meeting was attended by top brass including additional CP (crimes) Srinivasulu, joint CP (traffic) Joel Davis, and several DCPs. From the food safety wing, IPM director Dr Shivalila, AFCs Bal Raju and Ananda Rao, and food inspector Jagga Reddy were present to discuss the field-level challenges.