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Bhubaneswar: In a major breakthrough in the milk adulteration racket busted in Odisha, police on Saturday arrested the mastermind and an associate in the illegal operation in Gurudijhatia area of Cuttack district

The accused, identified as hotel owner Prakash Khuntia, was arrested along with his associate Sudhir Tiwari on Saturday. Both were produced before the court.

As per police sources, Khuntia was the key conspirator behind the operation. Preliminary investigation revealed that the duo had been adulterating milk by mixing it with powder and chemicals, raising serious concerns about public health.

The illegal activity was being conducted at a facility behind the hotel owned by the key conspirator near Kusupangi under Gurudijhatia police limits.

Acting on a tip-off, police had raided a milk tanker at Kusupangi on September 10 and seized a huge quantity of adulterated milk. The milk was allegedly being transported to a factory in Cuttack for further distribution. During the raid, the driver and helper of the tanker fled the scene, leaving behind the adulterated milk and associated chemicals.

Preliminary information suggested that milk was sourced from Sambalpur and later sent to an established company. However, details regarding the tanker’s origin and the company’s identity have not been revealed.