Hyderabad: 10 held for storing spurious cotton seeds

Hyderabad: As a proactive approach towards curbing the spurious cotton seeds, sleuths of Special Operations Team, Medchal zone, Rajendranagar zone along with the officials of Agricultural Department, Medchal and Chevella police stations conducted joint operations and nabbed 10 persons, who had stored spurious cotton seeds in order to sell the same to gullible farmers.

They seized 3.35 tons of spurious (BG-III/HT) cotton seeds and 14,850 empty pouches which were banned by the State government all worth Rs 95 Lakh.

On June 6, the Shadnagar Police Station, under the Cyberabad Commissionerate, successfully apprehended an individual involved in the sale of counterfeit cotton seeds. The accused, identified as Thotakura Ranga Rao, was arrested while attempting to sell the fake seeds on Monday and seized 1.5 tonnes of counterfeit cotton seeds.

According to sources, the accused previously served time in jail for selling fraudulent seeds in the neighboring areas of Adilabad. The arrest came after the police received specific information about the accused's activities. Acting swiftly, the authorities apprehended Thotakuraand confiscated 1.5 tonnes of counterfeit cotton seeds at RaikalChowrasta in Shadnagar Constituency.

Further investigation revealed that the seized seeds had an estimated value of approximately 40 lakhs. The authorities suspect that the accused intended to distribute and sell these fake seeds, potentially causing substantial financial losses to unsuspecting farmers. Thotakura has been remanded to judicial custody for possession of 33 bags containing the counterfeit cotton seeds.

The police authorities have urged farmers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities related to the sale and distribution of agricultural inputs. By collaborating with law enforcement agencies, the farming community can collectively contribute to the eradication of such fraudulent practices, ensuring a more secure and prosperous agricultural sector.