FDA officials extorting lakhs from eateries, quick-commerce firms, alleges Raut; seeks probe

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday (September 29, 2026) accused Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) officials of indulging in extortion and threatening hotels and quick-commerce businesses with licence suspensions, and demanded an independent inquiry against them.

In a letter to FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe , the Rajya Sabha MP alleged that the agency's crackdowns have turned its headquarters in Bandra and Thane offices into extortion hubs, where officials bypass mandatory legal notices to extract lakhs from frightened business operators.

He wrote that several business operators from Nagpur, Pune, Solapur, Wardha and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar had approached him with accounts of alleged extortion through "closing notices".

Mr. Raut said that certain officials were taking advantage of the FDA's aggressive campaign of inspections and raids.