2 weeks ago
FDA Defends Pune Sweet Shop Action After Rs 5 Lakh Fine
A sweets shop in Pune had its food licence suspended after inspectors found hygiene problems.
The shop later fixed most of the problems, meeting 35 of 36 safety requirements.
The Bombay High Court said the licence should not have remained suspended and ordered the FDA to pay the shop Rs 5 lakh.
The court also allowed the shop to reopen.
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Munde said the department was surprised by the order.
He said people had become sick and gone to hospital after eating the shop’s products.
The FDA is waiting for the written order before deciding its next legal move.
The FDA also inspected many other food businesses and seized unsafe or banned products.
Munde urged businesses and citizens to help keep food and medicines safe.
The Bombay High Court ordered Maharashtra’s FDA to pay a Pune sweets shop Rs 5 lakh.
The court questioned the continued suspension of the shop’s licence after it met 98% of safety requirements.
FDA Commissioner Tukaram Munde said the department stands by its action and will consider further legal steps.
The FDA said consumers were hospitalised after a food-poisoning incident linked to the shop’s products.
A statewide FDA drive inspected 86 establishments, issued 60 improvement notices, suspended 14 licences and seized food products.
- Who
- The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration, Commissioner Tukaram Munde, and a Pune-based sweets shop are involved.
- What
- The Bombay High Court ordered the FDA to pay Rs 5 lakh and set aside the continued suspension of the shop’s food licence.
- Where
- The dispute concerns a sweets shop in Pune, Maharashtra, and the inspection drive covered establishments across Maharashtra.
- When
- The licence was suspended on June 12, the shop was re-inspected on July 13, and a statewide inspection drive took place on August 13; the court order was reported afterward.
- Why
- The FDA cited food-safety violations and a reported food-poisoning incident, while the court questioned keeping the licence suspended after substantial compliance was found.
Bombay High Court
Maharashtra FDA
Continued licence suspension
Bombay High Court
The court set aside the continued suspension after the shop’s re-inspection found 98% compliance with safety requirements.
Maharashtra FDA
The FDA said its original action was correct because the inspection found deficiencies and consumers were reportedly hospitalised after food poisoning.
Financial liability
Bombay High Court
The court ordered the FDA to pay the Pune shop Rs 5 lakh within 30 days.
Maharashtra FDA
Munde said the department was surprised by the order and would review the written decision before pursuing legal remedies.
Key facts
- Court-ordered payment
- The Bombay High Court directed the FDA to pay the shop Rs 5 lakh within 30 days.
- Inspection compliance
- A re-inspection found the shop compliant with 35 of 36 safety parameters, or 98% compliance.
- Initial licence action
- The FDA suspended the shop’s licence on June 12 after finding hygiene and sanitation deficiencies.
- FDA position
- Commissioner Tukaram Munde said the department stands by its action and will examine further legal options after receiving the written order.
- Statewide inspections
- The FDA inspected 86 establishments selling food through online delivery platforms.
- Regulatory actions
- The drive resulted in one immediate business stoppage, 60 improvement notices and 14 licence suspensions.
- Seizures and cases
- The FDA seized 698 kg of dairy stock, about 1,270 kg of other food items, and registered 10 FIRs involving banned food products.
Quotes
Tukaram Mundhe
Commissioner, Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration
“"I think this is really important. Besides support, participation is also important. I had said earlier too that this should become a public movement… If we are able to do this, I will not need to take regulatory actions...We want to head in a direction where there is 100% self‑compliance and regulators need not take action."”
NDTV
“"It was a case of food poisoning, and those who consumed the sweets were hospitalised, and the report is 'unsafe'. So, the action we took was correct; there was nothing wrong there... We stand by what we say."”
NDTV
Sources
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