{
  "id": 10623359,
  "title": "FDA officials extorting lakhs from eateries, quick-commerce firms, alleges Raut; seeks probe",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/fda-officials-extorting-lakhs-from-eateries-quick-commerce-firms",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-29T06:08:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/fda-officials-extorting-lakhs-from-eateries-quick-commerce-firms-alleges-raut-seeks-probe/article71522642.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut has accused Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) officials of extortion and threatening businesses like hotels and quick-commerce firms with license suspensions. In a letter to FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, Raut alleged that the agency's crackdowns have turned its headquarters in Bandra and Thane offices into extortion hubs. He claimed that designated officers, assistant commissioners, and food safety officers are openly threatening businesses with license suspensions and engaging in widespread extortion. Raut provided examples of a quick-commerce company paying ₹17-18 lakh and a hotel's license being suspended based on a social media post about a rat, despite no actual rodent being found. He demanded an independent inquiry into the closing notice rate cards and the restoration of suspended licenses. Raut criticized the increase in the going rate for closing notices from ₹10,000-₹12,000 to ₹75,000-₹2 lakh under Mundhe's leadership and called for disciplinary action against officials who bypass legal procedures.",
  "summary": "\"Designated officers (DOs), assistant commissioners and food safety officers (FSOs) are allegedly openly threatening hotels and quick-commerce businesses with suspension of their licences and are engaging in widespread extortion,\" says Sanjay Raut",
  "key_points": [
    "Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut accuses FDA officials of extortion.",
    "Quick-commerce firm pays ₹17-18 lakh in extortion.",
    "Hotel license suspended after social media post about rat."
  ],
  "editors_take": "This scandal suggests a pattern of abuse of power within the FDA, where officials allegedly use threats of license suspensions to extort money from businesses, undermining regulatory processes and trust.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}