A day after the Bombay High Court questioned whether the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was inspecting only private eateries while sparing government-run establishments, the regulator carried out inspections at canteens inside the Bombay High Court premises.
An FDA team inspected three canteens operating within the High Court complex as part of its statewide hygiene drive led by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. One canteen was served a stop-business order for allegedly operating without a valid Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence, while the other two were issued improvement notices. A detailed inspection report is being prepared.
The inspection followed sharp observations by a Bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad, which questioned whether the FDA's ongoing crackdown was being implemented uniformly across both private and government-run eateries. The court stressed that food safety norms must be enforced fairly and asked why government and semi-government canteens, including those at Mantralaya and the High Court, had not come under similar scrutiny.
During the inspection, officials found that the Bombay Bar Association (BBA) canteen had already shut operations before the FDA team arrived. The regulator later issued a stop-business order, alleging that it had been operating without the mandatory FSSAI licence. The BBA, however, maintained that the canteen had voluntarily suspended operations before the inspection and that the required licence was obtained later the same day, with services expected to resume soon.
The FDA also inspected the High Court staff canteen on the ground floor, where food samples were collected. Another tea canteen near Court Room 36 remained closed during the visit. Officials continued documenting their findings before preparing the final inspection report.
No one is above food safety laws — not even Bombay High Court!
— DrSaranshVerma (@DrSaranshverma) August 1, 2026
When HC asked if govt canteens face the same strict hygiene rules as private ones, FDA Commissioner @Tukaram_IndIAS
took it literally.
His team walked into the High Court premises, inspected the canteens, found… pic.twitter.com/e3Nak84Mnw
The inspections come amid a broader debate over the FDA's enforcement drive after the High Court questioned the agency's alleged selective approach. The court had recently sought an explanation over the FDA's favourable inspection report for the Mantralaya canteens despite lawyers reporting unhygienic conditions there, reiterating that food safety laws must be enforced equally across both private and government-run establishments.
