Delhi Police have uncovered an alleged food safety fraud after raiding a warehouse in Okhla Phase-II and seizing food products worth more than ₹20 lakh.
Investigators allege that expired and near-expiry food products were repackaged, relabelled and marked with forged manufacturing and expiry dates before being resold in the market. Seven people, including the company owner, have been arrested in connection with the case.
Original Dates Allegedly Removed With Chemical Thinners
According to investigators, the accused allegedly purchased expired or near-expiry products at heavily discounted rates.
Police claim the original manufacturing and expiry dates were erased using chemical thinners before counterfeit dates were printed with specialised machines.
Fake nutrition labels, batch numbers, barcodes and Maximum Retail Price stickers were also allegedly added to make the products appear fresh and genuine.
Products Worth Over ₹20 Lakh Seized
During the raid, officials seized a large quantity of food and beverage items.
The recovered stock reportedly included soft drinks, malt-based beverages, ghee, noodles, beverage cans and packaged juices.
Authorities also recovered machines allegedly used for printing, sealing and altering product labels.
Preliminary findings suggest the warehouse was operating as a fully functional illegal repackaging and relabelling centre.
Seven Accused Arrested
Police arrested seven people in connection with the alleged racket.
The accused include:
- Darshan Singh Sachdeva, company owner
- Nitesh Bhardwaj, manager
- Narender Kumar, accountant
- Kapil, machine operator
- Lucky Ojha, warehouse keeper
- Prem Yadav, supervisor
- Pawan Kumar Yadav, supervisor
An FIR has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Distribution Chain Under Investigation
Authorities suspect the relabelled products may have been supplied across India and possibly sold through e-commerce channels.
Investigators are now tracing the full supply chain, identifying buyers and examining whether other distributors or retailers were connected to the alleged operation.
Officials said strict action will be taken against those found responsible for endangering public health through the sale of expired or adulterated food products.
Food Businesses Need Stronger Compliance Checks
The case highlights the risks created when expired inventory, weak warehouse controls and poor supply chain verification are exploited for profit.
Food businesses must maintain strict stock registers, expiry tracking systems, batch verification, vendor due diligence and internal compliance checks.
Periodic reviews supported by auditing services in india can help businesses identify expired stock manipulation, false labelling risks and inventory irregularities before they become major public health and legal issues.
Conclusion
The Okhla relabelling case shows how consumer trust can be misused when expired products are repackaged to look fresh.
For consumers, checking packaging integrity, expiry dates and trusted purchase channels remains essential. For businesses, strong inventory controls and regulatory compliance are critical to protecting both public health and brand credibility.
Shunyatax Global Insight
Food safety fraud is not only a consumer protection issue—it is also a governance failure across procurement, inventory, labelling and distribution controls. When expired stock is allowed to re-enter the market, the risk extends from financial misconduct to direct public health harm.
Shunyatax Global believes food and FMCG businesses should adopt expiry tracking, batch-level inventory monitoring, vendor verification and independent compliance reviews. Professional auditing services in india can help detect relabelling fraud, strengthen warehouse controls and ensure that product movement remains transparent across the supply chain.