A unit manufacturing fake sewing machines and branding them as products of the renowned ‘Usha’ firm was busted in the Janta Nagar area of Ludhiana’s Industrial Hub on Wednesday. Division-6 of the Ludhiana Police conducted raids and seized a large number of fake sewing machines from the unit.
Arun Mathur, special investigations manager at Lancer Network Limited, New Delhi, had filed a complaint with the police after receiving a tip-off from his team member. Rahul Sharma had informed him that Tejinder Singh and his son, Amritpal Singh, were manufacturing counterfeit sewing machines in the name of ‘Usha’ at Impex Lane (No 23) in Janta Nagar, Ludhiana. The father-son duo was duping people by using the brand’s original label and selling the counterfeit goods in the local market.
The police immediately took action on the complaint and raided the location. Led by Sub-Inspector Rajinder Pal, the police seized 25 counterfeit sewing machines (all bearing the Usha company’s label) and an e-rickshaw, which was being used to transport the goods. A case has been registered against both the accused under Sections 63-65 of the Copyright Act, 1957.
The police are now conducting a thorough investigation to determine how long the counterfeit business had been operational, who were the main buyers and which cities did the network extend to.
