Milkman detained in Lucknow for allegedly spitting into milk before delivery

A milkman in Lucknow was detained after CCTV footage showed him allegedly spitting into milk before delivery. The case follows a spate of similar food contamination incidents in Uttar Pradesh, prompting government directives to tighten food safety norms.

Lucknow: A milkman accused of spitting into milk before delivery was detained in Lucknow on Sunday after a customer lodged a complaint after seeing the incident on the CCTV installed at his house, police said. A purported CCTV footage of the incident has surfaced online, they said.

A resident of Gomti Nagar in the state capital lodged a complaint to the police after he allegedly saw the milkman, Mohammad Sharif, also known as Pappu, spit into the milk before handing it over at his house. “The accused has been detained. He is being questioned about the incident. Further action is underway,” Station House Officer (SHO) Brijesh Tiwari told PTI.

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According to police, Lav Shukla, a resident of Vinay Khand in Gomti Nagar, saw the CCTV footage on Saturday morning. He immediately filed a complaint against Sharif at the Gomti Nagar police station, they said.

The UP government issued a string of directives last year after alleged incidents of spitting and mixing urine in eatables were reported. In September, purported video showing a teenager spitting on rotis while preparing them at an eatery in Saharanpur district went viral on social media, leading to the arrest of the facility’s owner.

Before that, a juice vendor in Ghaziabad district was arrested for allegedly serving fruit juices mixed with urine to customers. In June, two men were arrested by police in Noida for allegedly selling juice contaminated with their spits.

On the back of these incidents, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered strict action against those who adulterate food items with human waste or other dirty things. He had also directed that CCTVs in hotels and restaurants be made mandatory.

Adityanath issued instructions that the names and addresses of operators, proprietors, and managers should be mandatorily displayed at all food centres and directed that chefs and waiters should wear masks and gloves.

Dhabas, restaurants, and food establishments should be thoroughly investigated, police should verify every employee and necessary amendments should also be made in the Food Safety and Standards Act to ensure the purity and sanctity of food items, he said.