Raut accuses FDA officials of extorting businesses; show proof, says Mundhe

The Rajya Sabha MP claimed that the rates for “closing notices” had risen from ₹12,000 to ₹75,000, and in some cases as much as ₹2 lakh, since the 51-year-old IAS officer took charge in May, with businesses fearing strict action

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has accused Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials of threatening hotels, restaurants and quick-commerce businesses with licence suspensions to extort money from them, alleging that bribe demands for withdrawing closure notices have risen sharply in recent months.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut made the allegations in a letter to FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe.

Raut made the allegations in a letter to FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, a copy of which he posted on social media on Monday. The Rajya Sabha MP claimed that the rates for “closing notices” had risen from ₹12,000 to ₹75,000, and in some cases as much as ₹2 lakh, since the 51-year-old IAS officer took charge in May, with businesses fearing strict action.

Mundhe rejected the allegations, saying the FDA had zero tolerance for corruption and that he would take strict action against officials found guilty if Raut provided concrete information about the alleged extortion.

The allegations come amid an aggressive, statewide enforcement drive by the FDA under Mundhe, targeting hygiene violations, food adulteration, and unsafe products. The authority has suspended the licences of hundreds of eateries, including iconic establishments such as Gallops, K Rustom & Co, and Suleiman Usman Mithaiwala, as well as dozens of dark stores operated by quick-commerce companies such as Blinkit, Zepto and Swiggy Instamart.

Citing an instance in Thane, without naming the company or officials involved, Raut alleged that two FDA designated officers had collected ₹17-18 lakh from a quick-commerce company to restore its suspended licence. He also claimed that some licences had been suspended following social media posts alleging the presence of rats at establishments, even though officials did not actually find any rodents during their inspection.

Raut alleged that the FDA was acting on customer complaints without independently verifying their authenticity, leaving businesses vulnerable to fabricated allegations.

He said the law required the FDA to issue inspection notices, allow businesses 15 days to comply, serve improvement notices and provide an opportunity for a hearing before suspending a licence. Bypassing these procedures and directly threatening businesses with suspension, he alleged, amounted to an abuse of authority and extortion.

Raut has sought an independent inquiry into the alleged extortion cases, mandatory verification of customer complaints, and disciplinary action against officials found to have bypassed due process. He has also demanded a separate probe into the alleged ₹17-18 lakh collection from the quick-commerce company in Thane.

“You (Mundhe) say that the system is improving. But if there is no control over your own officers, this improvement remains incomplete. FDA officials are now, according to the language being used by a large section of entrepreneurs, not merely demanding money but engaging in what is being described as outright looting. You cannot afford to ignore this,” Raut wrote in his letter.

Responding to the allegations, Mundhe told HT: “We have a zero-tolerance policy for corruption. If Raut shares concrete information about incidents of blackmailing by FDA officials, I will look into the matter and take strict action against those found guilty.”