Kathmandu. The Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection has sentenced two traders to one-year imprisonment and fined them NRs. 300,000 each for relabeling and selling expired food items. The Department has sentenced Ronak Bothra, Manager of Ayan Distributors and Shankar Bayalkoti, Director of Bishnu Laxmi Enterprises.

Bothra, was arrested while a joint team, comprised of the Police and the Department was raiding the warehouse of Ayan International on September 30. Based on his statement, the police had also arrested Shankar Bayalkoti. According to Rabindra Acharya, Information Officer at the Department, said that action will be taken under the Consumer Protection Act.

Similarly, the Department has taken action against Pushpa Devi Agrawal, the Director of Ayan International, saying that there was enough evidence to book him against relabeling. According to the Department, Munna Thakur, Pappu Kumar Thakur, Shyam Prasad Singh, Ram Bahadur Bayalkoti and Bikram Prasad Gupta, were also fined NRs. 312,000 each.

The Department has decided to destroy the items worth NRs. 29.4 million including the relabeling machine found during the raid, under the supervision of local representatives and police. Similarly, according to the Inspection Officer Javin Prasad Dulal from District Administration Office, Kathmandu, the Department has decided to impose a fine of NRs. 300,000 on Jitendra Kumar Lohia, NRs. 150,000 each on Mukesh Rauniyar and Anit (also known as Ashish Magar).

In addition, expired items worth NRs. 443,995 in the warehouse were destroyed in the presence of the local police and representatives. Three individuals were arrested while found relabeling expired materials. But a relabeling machine was not found with them.

The culprits can appeal to the Kathmandu District Court within 35 days as per section 40, sub-section 2 of the Consumer Protection Act, if they are not satisfied with the decision of the bench chaired by the Director General of the Department.