Khammam: Cops seize unlicensed seeds worth 2 crore

Khammam: Police have seized unlicensed chilli seeds worth Rs 1.43 crore and arrested four persons on Saturday. Speaking to media persons, the Commissioner of Police, Vishnu S Warrier informed that a farmer, M V Krishna Rao of Enkoor bought hybrid chilli seeds manufactured by Dwaraka Seeds Company on June 8. When he consulted the local Agriculture Officer (AO) A Narasimha Rao to verify the quality of the seeds, the officer confirmed the chilli seeds manufactured by the company were not licensed.

Then the police arrested Bairu Venugopal Rao, the owner of Sai Lakshmi Agency, located at Sujatha Nagar in Kothagudem district. He told police that the seeds company salesman, Mangaiah contacted him asking to sell his company seeds to farmers. The trader further told the police that trusting Mangaiah's words he consulted the company managing director V Laxma Reddy and regional manager M Siva Reddy of Hyderabad for procuring the seeds, Warrier said.

Seeds traders, Ajmeera Suresh, Cherukumalli Sridhar and Tumu Pichaiah of Mahabubabad were arrested by the police while Magaiah, Laxma Reddy, Siva Reddy and Deva Sathish of Parameshwari Agro Agency were absconding, the CP informed.

He further informed that the district police have seized spurious and unlicensed seeds worth Rs 2 crore and seized around 14, 805 packets of chilli seeds while booking 44 persons for selling spurious and unlicensed seeds so far.