Fake Gir Cow Ghee Manufacturing Unit Busted in Junagadh; 500 Kg Stock Seized

Junagadh: The Special Operations Group (SOG) of Junagadh Police has busted an alleged fake ghee manufacturing unit ahead of Diwali, seizing 500 kg of suspected adulterated ghee worth around ₹1.10 lakh and arresting the accused, Kamlesh Jantilal Sodha. According to the police, the product was allegedly made using soybean oil, castor oil, artificial flavours and chemicals and sold as pure Gir cow ghee for ₹600 per kg.

The unit was operating from Shop No. 15 at Jay Krishna Industries near Junagadh’s Marketing Yard under the guise of a castor oil business. Police said the accused allegedly used brand names with religious associations, including ‘Vraj Matuki’ and ‘Keshav’, along with counterfeit labels bearing the names of other brands, to market the product as genuine ghee.

During the raid, the SOG team recovered large vessels used to mix oils and other ingredients, along with pipelines and fittings for transferring the prepared liquid into tins. Bottles of artificial essence allegedly used to give the product a ghee-like aroma were also found. According to officials, the packaged tins did not carry expiry dates or batch numbers.

The police also seized packaging materials, sealing equipment, empty tins and labels bearing the names of several brands, including ‘Shree Kathiyawadi Gir’, ‘Anupa’, ‘Girdhan’, ‘Rasbhog’, ‘Shree Shamji’ and ‘Danedar Shuddh Ghee’. The seized items included 30 sealed tins of refined soybean oil, 62 empty tins, four unbranded tins containing castor oil, 1,000 induction-sealing foils, three tin-sealing machines, one packaging machine and one sealing machine. Packaged products bearing various brand names were also recovered.

According to information gathered during the operation, the alleged illegal activity had been ongoing for the past four to five years. The accused reportedly sold the product by claiming it was pure Gir cow ghee or was manufactured by established brands.

Following the raid, officials from the local Food and Drugs Department were called to the site, where samples of the suspected adulterated product were collected and sent to a government laboratory in Vadodara for testing. Food Department official Chintan Trivedi said the laboratory report was expected within 14 days. Officials said further legal action would be taken under the Food Safety Act based on the findings of the report.

A case-related entry has been registered at Junagadh ‘A’ Division Police Station.

The seizure comes ahead of Diwali, when demand for ghee typically rises as households use it to prepare sweets and other festive foods. DeshGujarat