Organized Interstate Spurious Seeds Racket Busted in Telangana and Karnataka: 2.65 Tons of Fake Cotton Seeds Seized
Hyderabad, May 26, 2023
In a proactive operation aimed at curbing the sale of spurious cotton seeds, the Special Operations Team (SOT) in collaboration with various law enforcement agencies and agricultural departments successfully apprehended seven individuals involved in an organized interstate racket. Acting on specific information, the joint operation conducted by the SOT teams from Balanagar Zone, Rajendranagar Zone, and officials from the Agricultural Department, Bachupally PS, Balanagar PS, and Shabad PS, resulted in the seizure of 2.65 tons of counterfeit BG-III/HT cotton seeds, a Bolero vehicle, a Duster vehicle, and eight mobile phones valued at Rs. 85 lakhs.
The arrested individuals were caught red-handed while transporting the spurious cotton seeds with the intention of selling them to unsuspecting farmers. These seeds were banned by the Government of Telangana due to their detrimental effects on crop yields. The accused were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Seeds Act-1966, and other applicable laws.
Accused Persons:
- Sada Shiva Reddy, aged 48, resident of Putpak, Yadgir District, Karnataka.
- Kummari Tayappa, aged 32, resident of Jaigram, Konkal, Yadgir District, Karnataka.
- Buddanodu Ramchandar, aged 43, resident of Sanklapur, Jaigram, Yadgir District, Karnataka.
- Bogudu Suresh, aged 51, resident of Meerpet, Hyderabad (previously involved in multiple cases).
- Singh (Absconding).
The primary accused, Sada Shiva Reddy, who hails from Yadgir District in Karnataka, operated a fertilizer shop known as Raghavendra Seeds and Pesticides in Putpak. With prior experience as a seed organizer for various biotech companies, he possessed extensive knowledge about the banned BG-III/HT cotton seeds. Exploiting the demand for these seeds in the market, Reddy orchestrated a scheme to sell them for personal gain while eluding agricultural and police authorities.
Together with his associates, Tayappa, Ramchander, and Suresh, they procured spurious seeds and devised a plan to sell them in different packaging. They targeted farmers in the outskirts of Bachupally and Balanagar areas. However, their illegal activities were intercepted when they were caught transporting 23 bags (1400 kg) of BG-III/HT cotton seeds in a Bolero truck (registration number: TS13UC5468) from Putpak, Yadgir, Karnataka, to the aforementioned areas.
Seized Property:
- 24 bags (1400 kg) of spurious BG-III/HT cotton seeds.
- 2200 fake branded seed pouches.
- Bolero Truck (TS 13 UC 5468).
- 5 mobile phones.
In a separate operation conducted by the SOT team from Rajendranagar Zone and Shabad PS, three individuals were apprehended for their involvement in the sale of spurious cotton seeds. Gattamaneni Venkataramana, the main accused, hailing from Kavali in Andhra Pradesh, had been running a fertilizer shop named ‘Anuradha Traders and Fertilizer Shop’ in Doulathabad, Vikarabad District, for several years. With prior experience as an organizer for biotech companies, Venkataramana cultivated BG-III/HT cotton seeds on leased land in Gokapasalvad village
