Sanjay Raut alleges extortion racket within Maha FDA, demands clean up

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has written to Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, raising concerns over alleged extortion and corruption within the department.

In his letter dated September 27, Raut commended Mundhe’s crackdowns on adulterated food, fake dairy products, and unhygienic hotel kitchens. However, he cautioned that corrupt FDA officials are using these actions to target local businesses for extortion.

Raut, who posted his letter on Monday morning on his X account, alleged that Designated Officers (DOs) and Food Safety Officers (FSOs) are threatening hotels, restaurants, and quick-commerce businesses with license suspensions to demand heavy bribes.

He also claimed "rates" for closing notices have skyrocketed. According to the letter, the rate to settle a "Closing Notice" has surged from Rs 10,000-Rs 12,000 to anywhere between Rs 75,000 and Rs 2,00,000 following recent high-profile enforcement actions.

Raut identified the FDA Headquarters in Bandra and its Thane office as primary centres for these activities. He said he has received numerous complaints from small business owners across Nagpur, Pune, Solapur, Wardha, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

The letter highlighted an incident in Thane where two DOs allegedly demanded Rs 17-Rs 18 lakh from a quick-commerce company to reinstate a suspended license.

Raut also criticised suspensions triggered by unverified social media complaints, such as rodent sightings, without proper independent verification. Raut claimed that while small food vendors face harsh actions, large pharmaceutical companies with serious non-compliance issues often escape scrutiny due to political backing and corporate influence.

Raut has appealed to Mundhe to conduct an immediate investigation into the alleged "Closing Notice rate card" and license restoration rackets in Bandra, Thane, and other regional offices. He demanded that mandatory physical verification is needed before conducting raids based on customer complaints to prevent fake allegations.

He also called upon Mundhe to initiate strict disciplinary action against officers who bypass statutory due process to extort funds, launch a standalone probe into the specific Rs 17-Rs 18 lakh extortion claim involving the Thane DOs, and digitally publish all details, dates, hearing summaries, and justifications regarding license suspensions and restorations to ensure accountability.

In the letter, Raut stressed that public health protection must not become a cover for extortion, urging Mundhe to clean up his own department alongside his public enforcement actions.

Raut has forwarded a copy of the letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also.

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