Gwalior, February 2, 2026: Authorities in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, have busted a sophisticated food adulteration racket in which fennel seeds coated with cement, chemicals, color, and artificial fragrance were being sold as branded cumin. Authorities seized around 46 sacks of adulterated cumin valued at more than ₹3.25 lakh.
According to the investigation, the chemical treatment process was used to transform ordinary fennel seeds into fake cumin. The fennel seeds were coated with cement and various chemicals. They were also treated with artificial coloring and aromatic compounds to mimic the appearance of cumin seeds.
In some cases, old cumin was also chemically processed to restore a fresh appearance.
Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against three individuals alleged to be operating this counterfeit spice operation:
Hitesh Singhal (also known as Champak), a resident of Vinay Nagar
Manoj, manager at Maa Sheetla Cold Storage, Purani Chhawani
Titu Agarwal, based in Jhansi
The accused allegedly manufactured and distributed the adulterated cumin under the Shivpujari brand name.
The illegal operation came to light following a complaint filed by Vimal Kumar Patel, a resident of Mehsana, Gujarat, and the legitimate owner of the Shivpujari brand. Patel reported that counterfeiters were producing look-alike packaging and flooding markets with substandard, potentially hazardous cumin bearing his brand’s identity.
Acting on this complaint, police teams, accompanied by Dal Bazaar traders and brand representatives, stopped a consignment at Uttar Pradesh-Madhya Pradesh Transport in Bahodapur. The shipment was being transported from Gwalior to Jhansi. The confiscated material has been forwarded to laboratories for comprehensive testing.
The counterfeit operation exploited price differentials to attract retailers and consumers. Authentic branded cumin typically retails for ₹250-450 per kilogram, whereas the adulterated product was marketed at ₹150-180 per kg.
Additional Superintendent of Police Jayaraj Kuber confirmed the seizure and assured strict legal action following laboratory analysis. “Cumin manufactured by coating fennel seeds with cement and chemicals has been seized based on the brand owner’s complaint. Samples have been sent for testing. Strict action will follow once reports are received,” he stated.
(Rh/VK)
