Ahmedabad, Oct 3 (PTI) An FIR has been lodged against a private catering firm for allegedly supplying duplicate ghee tins bearing “Amul” label to prepare “prasad” for devotees visiting a religious fair at the Ambaji Temple in Banaskantha district of Gujarat, police officials said on Tuesday.
The Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (GFDCA) had collected samples of ghee supplied by the accused firm at the Ambaji Temple, and they failed to meet the required quality standards during laboratory testing, the officials said.
As a result, 180 ghee tins supplied by Mohini Caterers were sealed and an FIR was lodged against the firm at the Ambaji police station on the basis of a complaint filed by the Sabarkantha District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd, or Sabar Dairy, police said.
The catering firm and some unidentified persons used ghee tins with a duplicate label of Sabar Dairy as original and bearing the mark of Sabar Dairy as the manufacturer, they said.
They were booked under sections 420 (cheating), 482 (a false property mark) and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Sabar Dairy is a member union of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) which markets milk and dairy products under the “Amul” brand.
GCMMF Managing Director Jayen Mehta said no dairy union affiliated with the federation is engaged in such illegal activities.
He said the Amul ghee available in the market is authentic and of high quality.
GFDCA commissioner H G Koshia has said the catering firm was given a contract by the Arasuri Ambajimata Devasthan Trust to prepare “prasad” (food or other offerings) for devotees visiting the temple during ‘Ambaji Bhadaravi Poonam’ fair.
When the samples failed the quality test, 2,820 kg of adulterated ghee worth Rs 8 lakh was seized on August 28.
The popular religious fair is organised in Ambaji village in August or September. In 2023, the fair was on September 29. PTI KA RSY
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