A team of police from Kathmandu District Police Range (KDPR) nabbed Madan Baba Maskey and her son Manendra Lal Maskey, of Corner Taja Gudpak Bhandar, and Milan Lal Maskey of Shree Krishna Gudpak Bhandar from their residences in Tahachal, Kathmandu, following instructions from Kathmandu District Administration Office (DAO).[break]
“The police will file cases against them once it completes the investigation,” Laxmi Prasad Dhakal, chief district officer of Kathmandu told Republica. Their production units and sales outlets were sealed by Department of Commerce (DoC) on Monday. DoC handed over the case to Kathmandu DAO to speed up the process of bringing the wrongdoers to justice.
The inspection team found around 1300 kgs of gudpak being prepared in unhealthy conditions and about the similar quantity of raw materials rotten and stinking.
“As we found the clarifications furnished by the gudpak makers unsatisfactory, we transferred the case to DAO so that stringent action could be taken against them,” said Anil Thakur, director general of DoC.
In a similar violation of consumer rights, police had arrested B L Sharma, the proprietor, and Suman Thapa, the manager, of Anamol Sweets at Bhatbhateni and Lok Prasad Agrawal, the proprietor of Kanaiya Ghee, for selling sub-standard ghee.
While Sharma, 87, has been admitted to Norvic Hospital on health grounds, Thapa, Agrawal and the Maskeys have been kept at Hanumandhoka police station.
Anamol was found selling sweets prepared using inferior quality vegetable ghee supplied by Kanaiya Ghee at far lower prices compared to prevalent market rate.
The police have started investigating the alleged involvement of all the arrested people and cases will be filed against them at DAO Kathmandu under the Black Marketeering Act.
They have to face one-year jail term and pay due compensation as per the Black Marketeering Act 1974, if the charges against them are proved.
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