Delhi Police bust expired food relabelling racket, 7 arrested in Okhla
Synopsis
A raid that began as a child labour rescue in Okhla uncovered something far more alarming — a factory erasing expiry dates from brands like Maggi, Bournvita, and Horlicks and reselling them as fresh stock on e-commerce platforms nationwide. Seven are arrested, ₹20 lakh in tampered goods seized, and the case raises urgent questions about how deeply adulterated food has penetrated India's online retail supply chain.
Key Takeaways
Delhi Police arrested 7 accused , including firm owner Darshan Singh Sachdeva , on 3 July for allegedly manipulating expiry dates on expired food products.
Food items worth more than ₹20 lakh were seized from M/s Westened Corporation Pvt.
Ltd. , Okhla Phase-II, New Delhi .
Brands found in the haul include Thums Up , Fanta , Bournvita , Horlicks , Maggi noodles , and Paper Boat juices .
Chemical thinners and specialised printing machines were used to erase and counterfeit manufacturing and expiry dates.
Products were being sold through open markets and e-commerce platforms across India and reportedly in international markets.
358/26 has been filed under Sections 275, 318(4), 336, 340 , and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) .
Delhi Police on Friday, 3 July dismantled a large-scale criminal operation at Okhla Industrial Area, New Delhi, in which expired international branded food products were allegedly stripped of their original dates, repackaged with forged manufacturing and expiry information, and sold through open markets as well as e-commerce platforms across India. Seven accused have been arrested and food items worth more than ₹20 lakh seized.
How the Racket Operated
According to investigators, the accused — operating under the registered entity M/s Westened Corporation Pvt. Ltd. at X-57, Okhla Phase-II, New Delhi — procured near-expiry or already-expired international food products at heavily discounted prices. Chemical thinners were used to erase original manufacturing and expiry dates from product packaging. Specialised printing machines installed on the premises then counterfeited fresh dates directly onto wrappers and stickers.
The tampered products were further altered with fake barcodes, batch numbers, and MRPs before being repacked in fresh-looking wrappers. They were subsequently supplied in bulk to retail markets and multiple e-commerce platforms, generating what investigators described as substantial illegal profits while posing a serious public health risk.
What Was Seized
The recovery from the premises included well-known consumer brands: Thums Up, Fanta, Bournvita, Horlicks, Maggi noodles, Paper Boat juices, ghee, 2-litre cold drink packs, and cold drink cans. The recovery of complete printing, sealing, and date-altering machinery confirmed the existence of what police called a full-fledged illegal adulteration and repackaging factory on site.
The Raid and Who Led It
The operation was conducted by a joint team from PS Okhla Industrial Area, led by Inspector Anil Malik, under the supervision of ACP Anil Sharma and the overall guidance of DCP Dr Hemant Tiwari. The raid was carried out alongside the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Badarpur, NGO Mission Mukti, and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Notably, the initial trigger for the operation was a child labour rescue mission based on specific intelligence inputs. No minors were found on the premises, but the subsequent search uncovered the food adulteration network.
Accused and Legal Action
The seven arrested persons include the company's owner, Darshan Singh Sachdeva, described as a septuagenarian. The remaining six accused have been identified as Nitesh Bhardwaj, Narender Kumar, Kapil, Lucky Ojha, Prem Yadav, and Pawan Kumar Yadav.
FIR No. 358/26 has been registered at PS Okhla Industrial Area under Sections 275, 318(4), 336, 340, and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). According to investigators, the products — had they remained in circulation — posed a grave threat to public health, as several seized items included packed food, beverages, and consumables that were unfit for human consumption. Further investigation is ongoing.
Point of View
Not opportunism. What demands scrutiny is how these products cleared e-commerce platform checks: if fake barcodes and batch numbers passed seller verification, the platforms' onboarding and product-authenticity systems are demonstrably inadequate. FSSAI's role in the raid is welcome, but a single FIR does not answer the larger question of how wide this distribution network actually reached.
NationPress
3 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the expired food racket busted by Delhi Police in Okhla?
Delhi Police dismantled an organised operation at Okhla Phase-II, New Delhi, where accused persons allegedly purchased near-expiry or expired international branded food products at low prices, erased their original dates using chemical thinners, and reprinted fake manufacturing and expiry dates using specialised machines. The tampered products were then sold through retail markets and e-commerce platforms across India.
Which food brands were found in the Okhla raid?
Investigators recovered tampered stocks of Thums Up, Fanta, Bournvita, Horlicks, Maggi noodles, Paper Boat juices, ghee, 2-litre cold drink packs, and cold drink cans — all with allegedly forged manufacturing and expiry dates, fake barcodes, and altered MRPs.
Who has been arrested in the Delhi expired food case?
Seven persons have been arrested, including the company owner Darshan Singh Sachdeva, a septuagenarian. The other six accused are Nitesh Bhardwaj, Narender Kumar, Kapil, Lucky Ojha, Prem Yadav, and Pawan Kumar Yadav. FIR No. 358/26 has been registered at PS Okhla Industrial Area under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
How did Delhi Police discover the food adulteration operation?
The raid was originally launched as a child labour rescue mission based on specific intelligence inputs. No minors were found, but a thorough search of the premises at M/s Westened Corporation Pvt. Ltd. revealed the food date-manipulation racket. The joint operation involved PS Okhla Industrial Area, the SDM Badarpur, NGO Mission Mukti, and FSSAI.
What is the public health risk from the tampered food products?
Investigators say the expired products — including packed food, beverages, and consumables — were unfit for human consumption. By altering expiry dates and reselling them as fresh stock, the accused allegedly exposed consumers across India to potentially harmful food without their knowledge. The products were being distributed through both physical markets and e-commerce platforms.
