Pune: The Hadapsar Police have registered a case against a local shopkeeper accused of violating copyright laws by selling counterfeit salt under the Tata Salt brand.

This action comes following a complaint by Sajid Asgarali Ansari, who suspected and reported the sale of adulterated salt bearing the Tata label.

The police investigation began after Ansari, a resident of Bhosari, filed a report at Hadapsar Police Station, leading officers to conduct a raid at Balaji Traders, a shop located near Vitthal Temple in Hadapsar.

On Sunday, around 12:30 p.m., police discovered the alleged counterfeit products at the shop, uncovering 600 one-kilogram packets of what was labeled as Tata Salt across 20 bags.

Upon closer inspection, significant discrepancies were observed. The packaging design, font, and labeling of the packets were noticeably different from genuine Tata Salt products, and there were no batch numbers on the counterfeit packets.

Price differences were also apparent, confirming suspicions of copyright infringement. The shopkeeper, identified as Hiramram Gangaram Choudhary, confessed during police questioning that he had sourced the counterfeit packets from an individual named Narendrasingh.

According to Assistant Police Inspector Sushil Lonkar, who is leading the investigation, the packets’ packaging indicated clear violations of copyright law, and Choudhary is currently under investigation for his involvement in the sale of these counterfeit goods.

The police are now working to track down Narendrasingh and further investigate the origins of the counterfeit packets.