Surat Raid: Rs.12.72 Lakh Fake Puma Footwear Seized

SURAT : Surat’s counterfeit goods market has come under the scanner again, with CID Crime cracking down on the alleged sale of fake branded footwear in Udhna. In a major raid, the Surat Zone CID Crime team seized counterfeit shoes, sandals and slippers worth ₹12.72 lakh allegedly carrying the Puma brand name and a replica of its logo.

The action followed a complaint by Pawan Pradhyuman Palasar, an authorised representative of Puma based in Ajmer, Rajasthan, who alerted authorities about the alleged open sale of counterfeit Puma products in Surat.

Acting on the complaint and intelligence inputs, the CID Crime team conducted a surprise raid on September 16 at Arihant Complex in Harinagar-1, Udhna. Police searched three shops — Shiv Footwear, Prem Trading Footwear and Sagar Footwear — where they allegedly found large quantities of footwear being sold under the Puma name.

Officials arrested three traders during the operation. They have been identified as Gajanand Harishchandra Mandav, 42, of Dhirajnagar-1 near Godadara Canal Road; Prashant Rajendrakumar Agrawal, 30, of Bamroli near D-Mart; and Savlaram Ravtaram Chaudhary, 48, of Harinagar-1, Udhna.

According to the police, the accused were allegedly selling footwear bearing the Puma name and logo while representing the products as genuine branded goods.

The seized stock, valued at ₹12.72 lakh, has been taken into custody as part of the investigation.

A case has been registered against the three accused under Section 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957. The CID Crime team has now expanded its probe to identify the source of the counterfeit footwear.

“We are investigating where the counterfeit stock came from and whether other persons are involved in the supply and distribution network,” police officials said.

Investigators are also examining whether the seized footwear is linked to a larger manufacturing or distribution racket operating in or around Surat. Further arrests could follow if additional links emerge during the investigation.