Mumbai entrepreneur finds insect in Vande Bharat food, vendor fined ₹10 lakh: ‘Everyone stopped eating’

Aditya Didwania shared his experience on X, posting pictures and videos that appeared to show an insect in the food served onboard.

Passengers on a busy intercity train were left shocked mid-journey after a Mumbai entrepreneur reported finding an insect in the food served onboard, triggering panic in his coach and swift action from railway authorities.

The post quickly drew attention online, raising fresh concerns about hygiene standards on train services. (@adityadidwania/X)

The incident took place on April 6, 2026, aboard the Vande Bharat Express travelling from Ahmedabad to Mumbai.

Aditya Didwania, an entrepreneur from Mumbai, shared his experience on X (formerly Twitter), posting pictures and videos that appeared to show an insect in the food served onboard.

Food safety concerns raised onboard:

In his post, Didwania said the issue was not a one-off. “At least two such cases in my coach,” he wrote, adding that “everyone stopped eating after that.”

The post quickly drew attention online, raising fresh concerns about hygiene standards on train services.

Didwania also urged authorities to take strict action against the food vendor involved.

He called for an inspection, stating he was “certain the food is not being prepared as per FSSAI standards.” He further demanded that, if found guilty, the vendor’s licence should be cancelled.

Check out the post here:

IRCTC imposes ₹10 lakh fine:

Responding to the complaint, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), which manages catering services on Indian trains, issued an apology and confirmed that action had been taken.

“Inconvenience caused is deeply regretted. The matter has been viewed with utmost seriousness,” IRCTC said in its reply. It added that a hefty penalty of ₹10 lakh had been imposed on the service provider, along with a notice to terminate the contract.

The kitchen has also been sealed for deep cleaning and pest control measures. IRCTC stressed that maintaining hygiene and ensuring passenger safety remain its “topmost priority”.

Here's how people reacted to the post:

X users reacted strongly to the post, with many expressing concern over food safety on trains.

Several users called for stricter checks and regular inspections of catering services, while others questioned how such lapses continue despite repeated complaints.

One of the users commented, “I always carry my own food, in case the travelling duration is longer, I would prefer ordering food from some application.”

A second user commented, “This is completely unacceptable, especially for a premium service like Vande Bharat.”

“The age-old and flawed tender process is to be blamed,” another user commented.