Rourkela: Plant site police busted a fake hair oil manufacturing and trading racket as it arrested two persons in this connection from Islam Nagar in AB Lane under the police limits in Steel City, police said Thursday. The accused were identified as Md. Zakir Hussain, 43, and his accomplice Syed Akhtar, 41, of the area.
Police during their arrest had seized huge cache of adulterated coconut oil, fake ‘Bajaj Almond Drops’ oil, aromatic liquid used in oil preparation, oil bottles, caps, fake labels, packaging materials and a machine from the residence Hussain in Islam Nagar. This was stated here by additional superintendent of police (ASP) Bikaram Keshari Bhoi at a press conference held, Thursday. A case has been registered against them under Sections 420, 482, 483, 486, 471 and 34 of the IPC, Sections 103 and 104 of the Trademarks Act, and Section 63 of the Copyright Act.
Later, the accused were produced in court and remanded to judicial custody after their bail pleas were rejected. The matter came to the fore after police raided the house of Hussain and recovered the adulterated oil worth around Rs 8 lakh. Police said that Hussain was running the business from his residence in Islam Nagar for the last four years by adding inferior, cheap chemical and aromatic substances to make the oil scented. They used to label the products with the names of various well-known brands and sell those in the market as genuine ones with the help of Akhtar and peddlers. Akhtar would act as the conduit between Hussain and the peddlers. Hundreds of bottles containing the adulterated oil were found in the house of Hussain. Further investigation is on.