1000 litre acid seized, 100 traders penalised with fine worth Rs 7L: DCW

Over 100 traders selling acid illegally were imposed fines worth over Rs seven lakh in last ten days during a drive to regulate the sale of corrosive chemical, said Delhi Commission for Women on Monday.

The drive which led to seizure of over 1000 litre of concentrated acid was launched ten days ago with a joint team of the Delhi government and city police officials raiding over 100 shops and establishments, the DCW statement added.

The malady of illegal and open sale of acid in the city was discussed on August 22 in a special meeting, chaired by Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash, the statement added.

The meeting was also attended by DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal, besides secretaries of various Delhi government departments and representatives of Delhi Police, it added.

Following the meeting, the chief secretary directed divisional commissioner-cum-secretary (Revenue) to constitute joint teams of area sub divisional magistrates, DCW representatives and Delhi Police personnel to launch a drive against illegal sale of the chemical.

The chief secretary issued strict instructions to conduct raids on daily basis and and book those involved in its illegal sale on the spot, the woman panel said in a statement.

In the past 10 days, the joint teams conducted over 100 raids and issued challans worth Rs seven lakh.

The teams visited various shops and stockists posing as customers and seized over 1000 litres of concentrated acid, it added.

In one raid in Narela, the team seized over 240 litres acid from one small shop while in another raid at a Nazafgarh shop, it seized 250 litres of the chemical.

The acid was found being sold openly with hardly any shopkeeper keeping any record of the sale or the stock, the statement said.