New Delhi, February 18 The Delhi Police has registered a case against the instant delivery platform, Blinkit, for allegedly selling knives that violate government-prescribed specifications, after it was found that individuals involved in crimes had ordered them online, an official said on Wednesday.
The police found such knives listed for sale on Blinkit while investigating online platforms that sold such items.
According to existing rules, knives with a blade length exceeding 7.62 cm and a width beyond 1.72 cm are prohibited.
The police said the matter came to light during the investigation of several cases where individuals involved were found to have purchased knives through online platforms.
Blinkit has not yet responded to the allegations.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Darade Sharad Bhaskar said, "A case was registered on February 14 under relevant provisions of the Arms Act after it was found that certain knives being sold online were in violation of government notifications regulating blade size and specifications."
During verification, police found that a 'Stanley knife' could be ordered through the delivery platform. As part of the investigation, police personnel placed an order and examined the product after delivery.
The knife was found to be manually foldable and exceeded permissible limits. Police said the blade measured around 8 cm in length and 2.5 cm in width, making it "illegal" under the law.
A case was registered and police teams conducted searches on February 15 at multiple dark stores – small warehouses linked to quick commerce companies – linked to the platform across Delhi and recovered 16 illegal knives.
On February 16, the operation was expanded to a warehouse in Farrukhnagar in Gurugram, where 32 more illegal knives were recovered, taking the total recovery to 50, police said.
The investigation is underway to examine supply chains, procurement sources, and the role of individuals responsible for stocking and distributing the prohibited items. Notices may be issued to concerned entities as part of the probe.
The police have also been in discussions with various online delivery platforms and have urged them to delist products that violate government notifications.