Two arrested for selling spurious seeds in Karimnagar

Nuka Rajesham of Swapna colony, Sultanabad of Peddapalli district and Erukulla Vedaprakash of Mattewada of Warangal district were arrested. Commissioner of Police L Subbarayudu said

Karimnagar: Task Force police, agriculture officials and Manakondur police busted a spurious seeds selling gang and arrested two persons on Tuesday.

Nuka Rajesham of Swapna colony, Sultanabad of Peddapalli district and Erukulla Vedaprakash of Mattewada of Warangal district were arrested. Commissioner of Police L Subbarayudu said Rajesham and Vedaprakash, who earlier operated seed and fertilizer shops, had incurred losses. They then started a spurious seeds business targeting farmers who were earlier their customers.

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Promising the highest yield, the traders sold fake seed to farmers. They also prepared the ground to sell the expired BG2 cotton variety seed by projecting it as BG3 seed, the Commissioner said, adding that the police got a tip-off, after which they kept a watch on the gang and arrested them at Manakondur tank in Karimnagar on Tuesday.

Another trader Sathish from Peddapalli was absconding. Fake seeds worth Rs.1 lakh, 19 steel boxes with labels of Astalaxmi, 31 seed packets with labels of Sai Divya, and 20 empty packets were recovered from them, he said, adding that criminal cases would be registered against those selling spurious seed to farmers. If necessary, the PD Act would also be invoked, he said.