The chief judicial magistrate of Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh sentenced three men, including an assistant manager of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, to six months in prison and fined all three defendants for failing a soan papdi food test.
According to The Times of India report, the incident began on October 17, 2019, when a food safety inspector visited Lila Dhar Pathak’s shop in the Main Market of Berinag, Pithoragarh. Concerns were raised about the quality of Patanjali Navratna Elaichi Soan Papdi, prompting the inspector to collect samples.
The notices were issued to Kanaha Ji Distributor in Ramnagar and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, Haridwar. The samples were sent for forensic testing at the state food and drug testing laboratory in Rudrapur, Udham Singh Nagar, on May 18, 2019.
In December 2020, the state food safety department received the laboratory report, which confirmed the sweet’s substandard quality. Legal action was subsequently taken against businessman Lila Dhar Pathak, distributor Ajay Joshi, and Patanjali assistant manager Abhishek Kumar.
The report added that after a series of hearings, the court sentenced Pathak, Joshi, and Kumar to six months’ imprisonment. Additionally, fines were imposed: Rs 5,000 for Pathak, Rs 10,000 for Joshi, and Rs 25,000 for Kumar, all under section 59 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. “The evidence presented in court clearly demonstrated the substandard quality of the product,” a food safety officer said, highlighting the court’s decision as a consequence of violations under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
