Ahmedabad City Crime Branch’s Special Operations Group (SOG) seized 6,900 packets of alleged fake cigarettes worth ₹8.62 lakh during raids at two shops in Maninagar and Kalupur, and arrested a 66-year-old shopkeeper in a case involving alleged infringement of ITC Limited’s trademark and copyright.
The action was carried out on October 9 at Mahesh General Stores in Sindhi Market, Maninagar, following a complaint by Darshak Parekh, the 47-year-old owner of Parekh International Adult Services Company. According to the report, Parekh said he was authorised to act against counterfeit products allegedly infringing ITC’s intellectual property rights.
The SOG team conducted the Maninagar raid along with the complainant, a company representative and two panch witnesses. Investigators seized 3,550 cigarette packets packed in 71 cartons, with 50 packets in each carton. The stock was valued at ₹4.43 lakh, based on a price of ₹125 per packet.
The shopkeeper was identified as Shobharaj Jethanand Kevalani, a resident of Maninagar East. During questioning, Kevalani allegedly told investigators that additional stock was stored at Dev Traders in the Pan Market area of Kalupur, which was also his shop. The SOG subsequently searched the premises and seized another 3,350 packets of the same brand, valued at ₹4.18 lakh.
Together, the two raids resulted in the seizure of 6,900 packets valued at ₹8.62 lakh. The case shows how a retail-level enforcement action can extend across more than one commercial location, with investigators tracing the alleged stock from a neighbourhood shop to a second premises in another trading area of the city.
Investigators sent the product identification numbers printed on the cigarette packaging to Apurva Dave, ITC’s regional representative. The complaint states that the numbers could not be verified through the company’s software, indicating that the products were not manufactured by ITC, according to the report.
During questioning, Kevalani allegedly said he had purchased the cigarettes from a person identified only as Nikunjbhai. The supplier had reportedly contacted him through WhatsApp and supplied stock against orders. Police have begun efforts to trace the supplier.
The SOG has registered an offence under provisions of the Copyright Act, 1957. Further investigation is focused on identifying the alleged supplier and establishing how the counterfeit stock entered the city’s retail distribution chain.
