Police Seize 38 Bags of Outdated Red Chilli Powder in Handwara

Aadil Akbar

Handwara: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Sunday seized a large quantity of substandard red-chilli powder in Handwara of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

“Acting on specific inputs and under the directions of the Superintendent of Police Handwara, a joint operation was conducted by the Handwara Police, led by DSP Hamid Banday, SHO Sofi Vilayat, and Naib Tehsildar Handwara Ghulam Mohammad Dar. The operation resulted in the seizure of 38 bags of substandard and expired red chilli powder being sold in the market for food purposes,” said a Police Spokesperson in a statement issued here.

The operation, the statement reads, was aimed at safeguarding public health by ensuring that safe and quality food products are available to the residents of the region. The seized consignment has been sent for laboratory testing to confirm its quality and safety.

“A case has been registered, and investigations are underway to identify the source of the expired and substandard products and hold those responsible accountable.”

Naib Tehsildar Handwara Ghulam Mohammad Dar has in the meantime, as per Alfaaz – The Words, appealed to the general public to purchase genuine, packaged products with proper labeling and expiry dates, rather than loose items that lack packaging and date verification.

The Handwara Police reiterated its commitment to protect the community from the distribution and sale of harmful food products. “Citizens are urged to report any suspicious or substandard food items to the local authorities to help maintain safety and quality standards in the region,” the Spokesperson said.