Duplicate NCERT textbooks worth over Rs 10 Lakh seized at Bhubaneswar godown

Suranjan Mishra Published On : May 4, 2024 at 9:54 PM

Bhubaneswar: Commissionerate Police today seized duplicate NCERT textbooks worth more than Rs 10 Lakh from a godown of Subham Book Store following a raid near Ravi Talkies in Bhubaneswar.

According to a source, based on an FIR earlier lodged by an NCERT official with Kharavel Nagar police in the State Capital, cops had raided Vidyarthi Book Store located under this police limit.

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During a detailed probe, it was ascertained that Vidyarthi Book Store owner previously purchased some duplicate NCERT textbooks from another store named Mangala Books. In turn, the second bookstore owner had purchased duplicate textbooks from Subham Book Store. Swing into action, the police team raided the godown leading to the seizure of a huge cache of duplicate NCERT textbooks.

“NCERT textbooks worth around Rs 12 Crore are purchased from Kolkata market, every year. Our suspicion intensified when the selling of books suddenly declined to around Rs 2 Crore,” a local NCERT official stated when contacted.

“Not only in Odisha, duplicate textbooks have good demand but also in Guwahati and New Delhi markets,” the NCERT official added.

“We are verifying the involvement of other booksellers, if any. A detailed probe is underway,” stated DCP Bhubaneswar Prateek Singh said mediapersons.