BALURGHAT: One person was arrested for his alleged involvement in selling protective masks at exorbitant rate. The accused has been identified as Samiran Hor, who hails from Balurghat. A probe is underway in this connection.
District police chief Debarshi Dutta said: "On the basis of the written complaint lodged by one Partho Talukdar that the accused, who is a wholesale dealer, had been involved in selling protective masks at Rs 50/piece, much higher than the normal price and thus causing artificial scarcity and black marketing. We caught him on charges of selling masks at exorbitant rate. A probe is on."
As complaints were received from the local residents about the non-availability of N95 masks in the wake of Coronavirus scare, police and District Enforcement Branch have started raids to the medicine shops aiming to crack down on the hoarders.
The officers, over the past few days, have raided several shops to find whether any trader was holding on to the stocks. A police source said that the stock of N95 masks has been in short supply due to heavy demand.
"During raids the chemists were directed to sell the masks at reasonable prices. Bills of purchase were checked thoroughly. Similar raids will be continued," said a police officer.
Meanwhile, the state government has directed local administration and police to ensure that the shopkeepers do not hoard masks leading to a panic and rise in prices of the same.