Shawarma death case: Kerala HC says eateries must exhibit date, time of food preparation on packing
Kochi: The Kerala High Court has issued instructions for eateries to display the date and time of food preparation on packaging, particularly focusing on the popular dish 'Shawarma'. The directive comes in response to a petition filed by the mother of a 16-year-old who lost her life in 2022 after consuming Shawarma.
Justice Devan Ramachandran, while addressing the plea, emphasized the need for public awareness regarding the importance of consuming such food items within a specified timeframe. The court directed the issuance of instructions to eateries to prominently exhibit the date and time of food preparation on packaging, whether served over the counter or through parcels.
The Food Safety Commissioner, Afsana Parveen, informed the court that consuming Shawarma beyond the recommended timeframe was a significant cause of accidents. She reported that 'Shawarma Guidelines' had been issued in September 2022, accompanied by an 'Order of Ban' in January 2023. Regular enforcement drives and inspections were conducted, resulting in notices and orders issued to eateries concerning parcel labeling and the mandatory mention of the specific date and time of manufacture.
Despite the ban on using raw eggs in the production and storage of mayonnaise, the court noted an incident of death due to Shawarma consumption after the ban's issuance. The court acknowledged the Food Safety Commissioner's efforts but emphasized the importance of making eateries and consumers aware of the potential risks.
The court decided to maintain the writ petition on file to monitor the implementation of orders, regulations, and circulars in the interest of public safety. In response to the petitioner's allegations, the court directed the respondents to file a counter affidavit outlining their response, along with details of guidelines, orders, regulations, and actions taken against the eatery in question.
The court had initiated a suo motu case after the 16-year-old's death and hospitalization of over 50 individuals linked to Shawarma consumption. The mother, seeking compensation of Rs. 1 Crore and strict compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, filed the present plea.
The case will be further considered on December 5.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Traffic fraud: Fake 'no-entry' sticker racket busted in Delhi, mastermind among 3 held
New Delhi (PTI): Police here have busted a crime syndicate involved in traffic fraud and extortion, arresting three people including the alleged mastermind who sold fake stickers to help commercial vehicles bypass no-entry restrictions, an official said on Saturday.
The police said they dismantled a third organised syndicate linked to traffic-related frauds, with the arrest of Rinku Rana alias Bhushan, his associate Sonu Sharma and Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, who was also connected to another extortion syndicate.
According to the police, Rinku Rana was running a well-organised network that facilitated the movement of commercial goods vehicles during restricted hours by selling fake 'marka' or stickers for Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per vehicle every month. The stickers were falsely projected as authorisation to evade traffic challans.
During raids, the police recovered Rs 31 lakh in cash, property documents worth several crores of rupees, over 500 fake stickers and six mobile phones allegedly used to operate the syndicate.
The crackdown followed a complaint filed by a traffic police officer in April this year after a commercial vehicle tried to evade checking by producing a fake sticker claiming exemption from enforcement action.
Investigation revealed that social media groups were being used to coordinate the illegal movement of vehicles and alert drivers about traffic police checkpoints, police said.
"A parallel system was being run to cheat drivers and vehicle owners while undermining traffic enforcement. On the basis of evidence, provisions related to organised crime under the BNS were invoked," a senior police officer said.
Sonu Sharma, the police said, managed social media groups through which stickers were sold and real-time alerts were circulated regarding traffic police movement. He also acted as a link between Rana and drivers operating in the field.
In a related development, Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, an associate of Rajkumar alias Raju Meena, who was earlier arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), was also apprehended.
Mukesh allegedly helped extort money from transporters and was involved in blackmailing traffic police personnel by recording enforcement actions, the police said.
Investigators alleged the syndicate led by Rajkumar deployed drivers to deliberately violate traffic rules and secretly record police officials during challans, later using manipulated videos to extort money under threat of false allegations.
The police said that in total, eight accused belonging to three different organised crime syndicates linked to traffic frauds and extortion have been arrested so far.
Further investigation is underway to trace the remaining members, conduct financial probes, and analyse digital evidence recovered during the raids, officials added.
