A tip-off about child labour sent Delhi Police to a factory in Okhla, but what they uncovered there turned into a much bigger case. Investigators found that expired food products from well-known brands were being given fresh, fake dates before being pushed back into the market. Police have busted the entire network and seized expired food items worth more than Rs 20 lakh.
Raid over a child labour complaint uncovers something else
According to Delhi Police officials, a special team from the Okhla Industrial Area, working under the supervision of ACP Anil Sharma, was sent to the premises of 'M/s Westend Corporation Private Limited' in Okhla Phase-2. The team had received a tip-off that minors were being made to work at the site. Acting on this input, a joint raid was carried out along with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Badarpur, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and the NGO 'Mission Mukti'. No minor was found working on the premises during the search, but the same raid gave police a lead that exposed a large-scale case of adulteration and fraud.
Chemicals and thinner were used to wipe out original dates
The police investigation revealed that the accused would buy food products from international and major brands at steep discounts, items that were either already expired or had very little shelf life left. Using chemicals and thinner, they would then erase the original manufacturing and expiry dates printed on the packets. Once the dates were wiped out, printing machines were used to stamp fresh, fake dates, fake batch numbers and fake barcodes on the packaging. To make the products look completely genuine, nutritional information labels and Maximum Retail Price (MRP) stickers were also pasted on them. The reworked stock was then sold not just in India but also in foreign markets and on e-commerce platforms.
Fanta, Thums Up, Horlicks and more recovered from the site
During the raid, police recovered products of several well-known brands, including Fanta, Thums Up, Bournvita, Horlicks, ghee, Maggi noodles, Paper Boat juice and two-litre soft drink bottles. Heavy machinery used for printing, sealing and changing the dates was also seized by the police.
Seven arrested, including the company owner, FIR registered
Police have arrested a total of seven people in the case, including the company's owner, Darshan Singh Sachdeva. The other accused have been identified as manager Nitesh Bhardwaj, accountant Narendra Kumar, operator Kapil, warehouse keeper Lucky Ojha, and supervisors Prem Yadav and Pawan Yadav. An FIR has been registered against all the accused at the Okhla Industrial Area police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Probe continues as police track suppliers and buyers
Delhi Police has made it clear that no compromise will be tolerated when it comes to public health and consumer safety. The investigation into the case is still underway, and police are working to identify the suppliers and buyers linked to this fake stock so that the entire network can be traced.
