Police seize crores worth of counterfeit Versace products

NEW DELHI: Versace has launched a significant initiative to protect its intellectual property rights (IPR) in India after discovering that counterfeit goods were being sold in multiple retail outlets in Azad Market, New Delhi. Acting on intelligence, the luxury brand filed a complaint with the Delhi Police’s Digital Intelligence Unit (DIU), which led to an FIR under the Indian Trademarks Act, 1999. A team of six officers, backed by search and seizure warrants issued on October 24, 2024, raided four retail stores: Royal Palace, Naveen Nayyar, Taneja House, and Fancy Trading.

During the operation, police seized numerous boxes of high-end counterfeit products worth several crores. The owners of the stores, however, fled the scene, leaving their staff behind. Investigations are ongoing to trace the source of the counterfeit goods. Jasmine Hora, Manager (Brand Protection) at Jotwani Associates, expressed gratitude to the DIU officials at Bara Hindu Rao Police Station for their professionalism in handling the raids. The action underscores the growing concern about counterfeiting in India, which has long been on the U.S. Trade Representative’s Super 301 Watch List for intellectual property violations. Raids like these help build international confidence in India as a business destination, sending a strong message to counterfeiters.