Food adulteration will be treated as attempt to murder: Hyderabad CP Sajjanar

Hyderabad police will treat food adulteration cases on par with attempt to murder, Commissioner of Police VC Sajjanar said. A joint task force, new SOP and public helpline are being planned to curb the adulteration mafia and protect public health.

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad police will maintain a zero-tolerance policy towards food adulteration and treat it on par with an attempt to murder, said Hyderabad Commissioner of Police VC Sajjanar.

The Hyderabad CP on Wednesday held a high-level coordination meeting to discuss and evolve ways to combat the adulteration mafia. He said specialised joint task force teams comprising police and food safety officials would be formed soon to deal with the issue.

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“We do not see this merely as a violation of safety norms; we will treat it on par with an attempt to murder as it directly endangers public health,” said VC Sajjanar.

He emphasised that enforcement would not be limited to street vendors but would also target large-scale manufacturing and processing units.

To ensure a streamlined process, a new ‘Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)’ is being drafted. This framework will guide officials in conducting raids, collecting samples, seizing contaminated goods and making arrests without any legal loopholes, he said.

The Commissioner warned that habitual offenders would be booked under the PD Act and their trade licences would be permanently revoked.

VC Sajjanar added that a dedicated WhatsApp number and a toll-free helpline would soon be launched so that citizens can pass information to the police. He assured that the identity of informants would be kept strictly confidential.