In a major crackdown at Raipur Railway Station, a joint team of the Food Safety Department and railway officials seized 600 kilograms of suspicious paneer arriving from Bhopal. The consignment was transported in 10 large containers via the Amarkantak Express on August 5. This incident has raised serious questions regarding station security, as the seized containers lacked essential barcodes and railway labels.
Investigation and Legal Action
Food Safety officials stated that the seized product appears to be ‘analog’ or synthetic paneer, which is currently banned in Chhattisgarh. The packets contained no information regarding ingredients or nutritional value. Samples have been collected and sent to the state food testing laboratory for detailed analysis. Officials have confirmed that once the lab report is received, strict legal action will be initiated under the Food Safety and Standards Act against both the vendor and the recipient if the product is found to be adulterated or substandard.
Details of the Smuggling Operation
During the operation, authorities detained a youth identified as Pranshu Rai, a resident of Katni. Upon interrogation, Rai admitted that he was acting on the instructions of a person named Ashish Jaiswal and that the consignment had been loaded onto the train without proper booking. Further inspection of the suspect’s mobile phone revealed incriminating chat records involving Saurabh Sharma and Ashish Jaiswal, detailing a broader network of illegal paneer supply. The investigation is ongoing as officials look into the source of the supply and the extent of this illicit trade route.