Hyderabad Police Warn Food Adulterators Face Culpable Homicide Charges

Hyderabad Police have warned that individuals and networks deliberately mixing hazardous substances into food products will face severe criminal charges, including Section 110 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for attempt to commit culpable homicide, along with potential preventive detention under the Telangana PD Act.

The police stated that food adulteration is no longer being treated merely as a regulatory violation due to the severe health hazards it poses to consumers, including life-threatening illnesses such as cancer. Depending on the evidence and consequences, offenders could face charges under Section 105 of the BNS for culpable homicide not amounting to murder or Section 110 of the BNS for attempted culpable homicide.

Speaking on the stringent approach, Hyderabad Joint CP (SB) and North Zone Joint Commissioner SM Vijay Kumar noted that accused persons have knowingly mixed hazardous materials despite being fully aware of the consequences. He stated that the resulting health risks make the offence far graver than ordinary regulatory non-compliance.

Authorities also highlighted that repeat offenders and organised adulteration syndicates could face preventive detention under the Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, which explicitly categorises "Food Adulteration Offender" as a detainable category.

The warning follows a recent citywide crackdown conducted by the Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team (H-FAST) in coordination with food safety officials. During the operation, teams inspected 130 establishments and seized approximately 36 tonnes of adulterated ghee, raw materials, and chemical additives. The seized items included 25.5 tonnes of adulterated ghee, 8.7 tonnes of cream, 1,200 litres of palm oil, 600 litres of vanaspati, starch, and artificial flavouring agents used to market synthetic ghee under labels such as "100% Pure Ghee" and "Farm Fresh Ghee".

The action follows another major enforcement drive earlier this month where 25.3 tonnes of spices and nearly 89 tonnes of raw materials were seized across 13 establishments, leading to three arrests. Investigators discovered industrial cloth dyes, synthetic colours, talcum powder, and rice-bran oil being added to enhance the appearance and weight of spices. Police registered three FIRs and invoked Section 110 of the BNS in that case.

Over the past 140 days, the H-FAST campaign has conducted 659 raids, registered 202 FIRs, and seized nearly 246 tonnes of suspected adulterated or contaminated food items across Hyderabad, referring 232 cases to Food Safety authorities.