‘Do you feel you are a lord?’: Bombay HC rebukes Tukaram Mundhe-led FDA over crackdown on MCA eateries

The Bombay High Court has reprimanded Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) officials led by Tukaram Mundhe for their "pedantic" approach when suspending the licences of five restaurants located within the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) premises. According to the court's division bench, the officials' actions were deemed unbecoming of a government body and questioned whether they felt they could "do anything" as they saw fit.

In response, the Maharashtra FDA announced it would withdraw its order suspending the licenses of the five eateries following a new inspection report that revealed 88% compliance with food safety regulations. The court vacated the suspension after the FDA submitted the report, which confirmed the eateries met the required standards.

The five restaurants in question were initially suspended due to alleged hygiene violations and operational irregularities. However, the FDA faced criticism for maintaining the suspension despite the fresh inspection results. The FDA's decision to suspend the eateries was based on the fact that they were operated by M/s Shirke Infrastructure, even though the licences were registered in the MCA's name.

The court accepted the FDA's revised plan to issue a fresh notice to the MCA, grant a hearing on the contract dispute, and then pass a reasoned order. The bench emphasized that the law does not prohibit the FDA from taking such actions and pointed out that they had previously urged officials to take a pragmatic view of the situation.

In conclusion, the Bombay High Court has vacated the license suspension order and ordered the Maharashtra FDA to withdraw the suspension, allowing the five MCA restaurants to reopen their services. The court reprimanded the FDA for their "pedantic" approach and warned that contempt action may be taken against concerned officials if they continue to take an unreasonable stance.