Hyderabad: Forum for Good Governance raises concerns over the acquittal of the Food Adulteration cases in the Hyderabad police commissionerate limits. Forum for Good Governance filed an RTI petition with the local police stations and further took up the review of some cases and their logical conclusion. 

Padmanabha Reddy, President of FGG, said, “We found that the prosecuting agency isn’t showing interest. This leads to cases closing due to mistakes of fact, acquittals, closed proceedings, or minimal punishments.”

He also said that although state police and food safety officials regularly conducting raids and file cases. People expect quick punishment for offenders and want checks on food adulteration. However, it was not the case. 

Forum for Good Governance requests the Chief Minister of Telangana to kindly order a review of cases booked for food adulteration and issue suitable instructions to the police to take adulteration cases seriously and see that maximum punishment, as prescribed in law, is imposed. In view of the seriousness of the problem, we may think of establishing a Special Court to deal with food adulteration cases.

Legal consequences

Food adulteration has become a serious health hazard in the state of Telangana.  To control food adulteration, the Government of India has enacted the Food Safety and Standard Act.  

Apart from it, in the I.P.C. (B.N.S.), there are provisions for the prevention of food adulteration and it prescribes punishments; I.P.C. Sec. 272 and 273 (corresponding to sec. 274 and 275 of B.N.S.) prescribe a punishment of imprisonment which may extend to 6 months or one thousand rupees or both.  Sec. 420 for cheating prescribes a punishment of upto seven years.  Sec. 59 (iii) of F.S.S. Act prescribes punishment of imprisonment up to six years and also with a fine which may extend up to five lakh rupees.