A video. Just a video shared on social media — and suddenly, the bananas sitting in your fruit basket don’t look quite as innocent anymore.
Arunachal Pradesh Police have launched a formal investigation into the alleged use of chemicals to artificially ripen bananas in Naharlagun, after a disturbing clip went viral online and forced authorities to take a hard look at what’s really happening inside the state’s fruit trade. The announcement was made on September 10 by Naharlagun-Itanagar Capital Region Superintendent of Police Nyelam Nega, and it’s safe to say the news has people talking.
What triggered all of this? A video. Footage circulating on social media apparently showed what looked like chemicals being applied to bananas to speed up the ripening process. The kind of thing that makes you stop mid-bite and wonder. Once the clip reached the police, there was no looking the other way.
Naharlagun police station Officer-in-Charge K Dev wasted no time. An FIR was registered on Wednesday under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. So this isn’t just a warning or a pat on the wrist — this is a formal criminal case, and it signals that authorities are taking the matter seriously.
But here’s where things get a little more nuanced. SP Nega made it clear that while the investigation is underway, the exact nature and chemical composition of the substance shown in the video haven’t been confirmed yet. “The exact nature and chemical composition of the substance depicted in the video are yet to be established, and will be determined through scientific examination and detailed investigation,” he said. In other words, police aren’t jumping to conclusions. They want science to do the talking first.
That’s actually the right approach — because the use of chemicals like calcium carbide to artificially ripen fruits is a well-documented concern across India. Calcium carbide, which releases acetylene gas, has long been used illegally by traders looking to rush the ripening process and push produce to market faster. The problem? It can carry traces of arsenic and phosphorus compounds, both harmful to human health. Whether that’s what was being used in Naharlagun still needs to be proven, but the fact that police are even asking the question matters enormously.
Nega further assured the public that if food safety violations are established during the investigation, those responsible will be dealt with strictly under the law. The probe will also aim to identify everyone involved in the alleged practice — from those handling the chemicals to whoever is selling the fruit.
It’s a reminder of something easy to forget: food safety isn’t just about what’s printed on a packaged snack’s label. It’s about the banana you grab at the local market without a second thought, the fruit handed to your child as an afternoon snack. Most people in Naharlagun, and honestly across the Northeast, have no idea this practice even exists — let alone that it might be happening in their own backyard.
The police deserve credit for moving quickly on this. But the real test isn’t the FIR. It’s what comes after the lab results — and whether the accountability that follows is strong enough to actually change something.
