Ex-MP Patle, 3 kin get 1-yr jail for selling substandard milk

Nagpur: Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Wardha Saroj N Mane Gadekar has pronounced one-year jail term each to four partners of a firm owned by former Member of Parliament from Bhandara Shishupal Patle for selling substandard milk in Wardha. The judge has also awarded six months imprisonment to Rajendra Bhuraji Awthale, who was manufacturing and marketing the milk for the Patle family.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had picked up samples from the manufacturer, Rajendra Dairy, Malgujaripura, Wardha, on October 2, 2008, and filed a case against M/S Pawan Milk and Food Products, Tumsar Road, Bhandara, in January 2009. The latter firm is owned by former MP Shishupal Patle and three family members, Durgaprasad S Patle, Suman Durgaprasad Patle and Shilpa Shishupal Patle.
In another judgement against people engaged in adulteration or sale of substandard food items, Wardha CJM Mane Gadekar had also convicted a fruit seller on August 10 for using an illegal chemical to ripen bananas.
In the milk case, the sample collected by the then FDA food inspector SB Naragude was found to contain 2.5% milk fat as compared to the norm of 3.5%, and the total milk solids-not-fat was found to be 6.36% against the norm of 8.5%. The milk was being sold under the brand Kesar Cow Milk.
“Though everyone has a right to appeal, such convictions are very rare. The judgement may not be upheld in higher courts, yet this is an example for all manufacturers and food products sellers that they cannot take the FDA and the law for granted. In this particular case, each of the four partners have been announced equal imprisonment of one year and a fine of Rs1,000. In case of non payment of fine, the guilty will have to serve one more month of jail term,” said SR Kekare, joint commissioner FDA (food) at Nagpur.
SD Thool was the government lawyer while Raviraj Ghabarde was officer in charge investigating the case on behalf of FDA. All proofs for the case were brought to the fore under the guidance of GR Wane, assistant commissioner food, Wardha.