The Food and Drug Administration has seized approximately `10 crore of gutka, pan masala and scented tobacco since a ban was implemented on July 13. The FDA has also seized ingredients that are being sold separately but when mixed take the form of gutka. However, it is not confiscating pure tobacco.
In over two months, since July 13, the FDA has inspected 16,705 premises across the state and seized gutka and other ingredients from 615 premises amounting to almost `10 crore. The FDA has also started destroying the seized gutka since September 25.
Even as the ban has been effective, there are more than 15 writ petitions in the Bombay high court. “We had the foresight that the manufacturers and people who have stakes in the business would move courts, so we fortified our case well in advance. Out of the 15 petitions, the HC has already refused a stay on seven and we are hopeful that it will do the same for the others,” said FDA commissioner, Mahesh Zhagade.
He added, “The seizures we have made in the last two months are the biggest in the country. In no other state have there been seizures amounting to worth `10 crore.”
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Theft motive for 75-year-old’s murder: Police
Age Correspondent
Mumbai, Sept. 30
The VP Road police has said that robbery might have been the motive behind the murder of 75-year-old Sarla Vasudevan, who was found dead in her residence on Thursday. The police said that two gold bangles and a gold chain, were found missing from her person.
According to senior inspector Rajendra Chavan of the VP Road police station, Vasudevan’s nephew and one of her neighbours informed the police about the missing ornaments. “The jewellery is worth around `1 lakh. We searched the entire house, but couldn’t find the missing jewellery. As of now, robbery seems to be the primary motive for the murder,” Mr Chavan said.
Vasudevan, who is a divorcee and lived alone in a chawl in the Amritwadi area of VP Road, was found dead on Thursday morning, and at that time the police believed that she had died of natural causes. However, the post-mortem report on Friday said that the victim was smothered to death. She was apparently found dead by her domestic help and the police also did not find any signs of forced entry into the house.
Additional commissioner of police Krishna Prakash said, “As of now, we are investigating the robbery angle. However, we have not ruled out other possibilities,” he said.