Tenkasi couple held for supplying ‘synthetic' milk produced by use of chemicals
The Food Safety Department officials have unearthed a unit producing 'milk' with chemicals and arrested a couple, who were supplying over 1,000 litres of this harmful product to the hotels, teashops and the public everyday.
After four inmates of an old-age home died between Wednesday and Friday due to suspected food poisoning, District Collector A. K. Kamal Kishore instructed the officials attached to the Department of Food Safety and Tenkasi Municipality to organise surprise checks in the restaurants, teashops, snack shops and the milk supplying points.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police S. Aravind received information that 'milk' was being produced artificially by mixing a few chemicals in a building near Tenkasi police station. The SP instructed the Tenkasi police to raid the spot.
When one of the teams raided a building near Tenkasi Police Station on Friday, the officials found Gomathi Shankar of Melapaavoor and his wife Lakshmi artificially synthesizing 'milk' using a few chemicals. They had been supplying over 1,000 litres of milk a day to the public, teashops and a few hotels in and around Tenkasi for more than a year.
The team, with the help of the police, nabbed one Muppidathi, also from Melapaavoor, who allegedly supplied the chemicals to the couple for making 'milk'. When the raid was conducted, 300 litres of 'milk' was about to be taken in an autorickshaw to the customers.
'The chemicals used by Gomathi Shankar and Lakshmi for preparing 'milk' can cause serious side-effects if it is consumed everyday for a few months. Since they have supplied this slow poison to the public, teashops and the restaurants, those who had consumed tea and coffee prepared with this 'milk' should consult the doctors and get themselves screened,' said an official attached to the Department of Food Safety.
The 'milk' sample has been sent for analysis.
Police said the chemically synthesized 'milk' had been sold at a rate of ₹50 a litre to the customers. Since Gomathi Shankar was selling 1,000 litres a day, he was getting a revenue of ₹50,000 a day and making a profit of more than ₹40,000 a day.
'A major portion of the 'milk' synthesized by Gomathi Shankar had been supplied everyday to two teashops in Tenkasi new bus-stand, we came to know during the investigation,' said the police, who are mulling over freezing the bank accounts of Gomathi Shankar and Lakshmi and attaching their properties.
'Since the bank accounts of ganja smugglers and peddlers are frozen besides attaching their properties, we're planning to apply the same procedure to this case also,' said a senior police officer.
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