The Patamata police arrested three persons, including two staff members of Nandini Milk Dairy Unit, for allegedly selling the milk meant for supplying the same to children and pregnant woman.
The accused were diverting the milk tetra packets being supplied from Nandini Milk Dairy Unit, located at Auto Nagar in the city, to the anganwadi centres in Guntur district.
Police arrested dairy unit manager B. Venkata Surya Naga Rama Someswara Rao, native of Amalapuram, unit owner L. Rajesh Kumar of Vijayawada and supplier M. Vema Reddy of Veldurthi mandal in Guntur district, said Police Commissioner B. Srinivasulu.
The accused, Someswara Rao and Rajesh, were procuring milk from Vema Reddy at lesser price and selling the milk packets in open market.
Following a complaint lodged by AP Dairy Development Cooperative Federation Limited regional sales manager P. Ramakoteswara Rao, the police registered a case, conducted the raid and busted the racket, said Central Zone ACP Y. Srinivas Reddy and Patamata CI R. Suresh Reddy, who participated in the raid.
The State government has issued orders for opening of 55,607 anganwadi centres in the State on Monday, after a gap of ten months due to COVID-19. The milk shall be distributed to children, pregnant and lactating mothers under YSR Sampoorna Poshana Scheme in the State.
“We seized 825 cartons in which the milk packets were packed. The accused were produced in court and were remanded to judicial custody. Police are investigating whether any other suppliers were involved in the racket,” Mr. Suresh Reddy said.
