Seven arrested in cement racket

Seven persons have been arrested for allegedly selling inferior-quality cement by packaging it gunny bags of prominent companies, police said on Tuesday.

The Mumbai crime branch's property cell on Sunday arrested Aslam Chowdhary (51) along with six workers after raiding his godown at Nirmal Rubber board compound in the western suburb of Goregaon on Saturday, an official said.

Chowdhary would collect unused spilt cement from Bombay Port Trust's godown in Rey Road and under-construction sites in the city and would mix them in his godown, the official said.

He would then pack the mixed cement in gunny bags of prominent companies and sell them in the market, the official added.

"We have arrested the accused under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Copyright Act," inspector Dheeraj Koli from property cell said.

Over 600 gunny bags containing poor-quality cement have been recovered from Chowdhary's godown, he said, adding that more arrests are likely in the case.