Delhi Police Busts Counterfeit Textbook Racket Worth ₹2.4 Crore

Strategic Insights -

A massive operation by the Delhi Police has uncovered a vast network of pirated National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) books worth over ₹2.4 crore. A father-son duo, Prashant Gupta and his son Nishant Gupta, were arrested from a shop on Mandoli Road after a tip-off was received on May 16. The raid yielded over 170,000 pirated books, with the majority being Class 12 social science textbooks. The books were found to have forged signatures and fake authentication marks to deceive buyers. The police have lodged a case under the Copyright Act, 1957, and are investigating the supply chain of the pirated books, including illegal printing presses and distribution points.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Delhi Police busted a counterfeit textbook racket involving pirated NCERT books worth over ₹2.4 crore.
  • A father-son duo, Prashant Gupta and Nishant Gupta, were arrested from a shop on Mandoli Road in Shahdara, Delhi.
  • The operation yielded over 170,000 pirated books, with the majority being Class 12 social science textbooks.
  • The books were found to have forged signatures and fake authentication marks to deceive buyers.
  • The police have lodged a case under the Copyright Act, 1957, and are investigating the supply chain of the pirated books.
  • The NCERT officials confirmed that the books were counterfeit, and the police are probing the supply chain, including illegal printing presses and distribution points.
  • The investigations will also examine whether systemic delays and shortages in NCERT's official supply chain may have indirectly fostered the demand for pirated copies.
  • The probe will extend to wholesale dealers, retailers, and educational institutions potentially involved-wittingly or otherwise-in the racket.

Statistics:

  • ₹2.4 Crore: The worth of the pirated NCERT books seized by the Delhi Police.
  • 170,000: The number of pirated books seized from the shop on Mandoli Road.
  • 160,000: The number of additional pirated textbooks seized from a property in Shiv Enclave.
  • 5: The number of years Nishant Gupta, the son, has been involved in the family business.
  • 35: The age of Arvind Kumar, the owner of the property where pirated textbooks were found.

Sources:

  • Hindustan Times, "Delhi Police busts counterfeit textbook racket worth ₹2.4 crore"