In a troubling incident in west Bengaluru, a street food vendor was arrested after local residents discovered he was preparing and selling unhygienic pani puri using spoiled ingredients and unsafe water. The vendor, Pavan Kumar, had been operating his cart near the Navarang Theatre for three years before being apprehended by residents Keshav and Vijay Kumar, as reported by The Times of India.
The alarm was raised when Keshav, an autorickshaw driver, witnessed Kumar drawing water from a nearby borewell tank on September 29. Upon questioning, Kumar falsely claimed the water was intended for washing dishes. Suspicious, Keshav and Vijay followed him to his cart, where they observed Kumar using the contaminated borewell water to make the spiced water (pani) for the popular snack.
Their concerns deepened when they found rotten potatoes—approximately 40 spoiled tubers—packed in a plastic bag and decayed onions. Additionally, Kumar had mixed unwashed coriander leaves into the pani, posing serious health risks to customers.
Outraged by the unsanitary conditions, Keshav promptly reported the situation to the Basaveshwara Nagar police, leading to a case being registered against Kumar under sections 271 and 272 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which address acts likely to spread infectious diseases. After his arrest, Kumar was granted bail but was warned by the authorities.
Keshav, now more vigilant about food safety, expressed his shock at discovering that unhygienic pani puri had been sold in their area for three years.
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