Illegal Incense: Mumbai Manufacturer Faces Chemical Violation Charges

Mumbai police have filed a case against an incense stick manufacturer for using a harmful chemical exceeding legal limits. The Maharashtra Agriculture Department's raid found the product contained excessive dimefluthrin, a regulated pyrethroid, without necessary licenses. The case has led to an FIR and ongoing investigations.

Mumbai's law enforcement has initiated legal proceedings against an incense stick manufacturer, following discoveries of chemical excesses in their products. According to officials, a raid by the Maharashtra Agriculture Department unveiled 29 boxes of incense sticks in Santacruz (West) laced with dimefluthrin beyond permissible limits.

Dimefluthrin is a regulated synthetic pyrethroid, typically approved solely for mosquito-repellent items under the jurisdiction of the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee. The manufacturer's failure to secure both the appropriate licenses and CIBRC approval renders the production and vending of these incense sticks illegal.

This prompted Agricultural Officer Bhagwan Pathare to file a complaint. Consequently, a First Information Report (FIR) has been filed against M/S Dhoop Chaon and Company, along with its director Nitesh Gulam Patil. The product now undergoes rigorous lab analysis at the National Institute of Plant Health Management in Hyderabad as investigations persist.

(With inputs from agencies.)