Warangal cops arrest two inter-state gangs selling fake seeds, seize seeds worth Rs 2.11 crore
The police seized counterfeit seeds with an estimated value of Rs.2.11 crore. The authorities also seized an extensive cache of evidence.
Warangal: In a major operation, the Task Force, Madikonda and the Enumamula police along with Agriculture officials apprehended 15 people associated with two notorious gangs involved in production and distribution of fake seeds. Three more accused were at large.
The police seized counterfeit seeds with an estimated value of Rs.2.11 crore. The authorities also seized an extensive cache of evidence, including seven tons of spare seeds, 9,765 packets of fake seeds, one mini-lorry, a car, and Rs.21 lakh in cash, Warangal Police Commissioner AV Ranganath said at a press meet here on Thursday.
The arrested were identified as Dasari Srinivas from Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, Chedam Pandu from Hyderabad; Koppula Rajesh from Mancherial, Vadicharla Surender Reddy from Chandrapur, Maharashtra, Engude Dilip from Balharshah, Maharashtra, Boge Satyam, Sheikh Anjad, Indurthi Venkatesh, Putta Rajesh from Mancherial, Chedam Venkataramana from Hyderabad; Chedam Nagaraju from Mahabubnagar, Sundar Shetty Phaninder from Bapatla, A.P, Kalva Sridhar from Nagar Kurnool district, Tapte Hanumantu from Kurnool, and Vemula Arvind Reddy from Hyderabad.
“Our teams are on the job to nab three more accused in the case- Shiva Reddy, Bhaskar Reddy, and Gampa Sadashi- for their involvement in the illicit activities related to the distribution of fake seeds,” the Commissioner said.
He said the main accused, Dasari Srinivas and Bhaskar Reddy, would purchase seeds from farmers at significantly lower prices, and send them seed companies operating in Karnataka. The banned varieties of cotton (BG 3 and HT), were specifically chosen for their resistance to herbicides and minimal need for weeding. The gangs would fraudulently package and sell these seeds under the brand names of renowned seed companies, attracting unsuspecting farmers who were willing to pay higher prices, he added.
The counterfeit seed packets, skillfully replicated with QR codes, seed preparation information, expiry dates, and serial numbers identical to those of the original Narmadasagar company, were distributed across different districts of Telangana with the cooperation of the accused persons. Chedam Pandu, the prime suspect in one of the gangs, was associated with government-sanctioned Rushee and Sri Ganesh Seed Processing Company. Through this affiliation, he acquired Narmadasagar Company’s seeds from Gujarat and redistributed them as sub-sale licensee in various districts of Telangana, police said.
The successful operation was the result of coordinated efforts by two teams, comprising officers from the Task Force, Madikonda, Enumamula police, and Agriculture Department. Task Force ACP Dr M Jitender Reddy, Inspectors Srinivas Rao, K Janardhan Reddy, Allam Rambabu, S Srinivas, Venu, Mahender and other staff were congratulated by the CP.
