Sanjay Raut alleges extortion racket within Maharashtra FDA

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has written to Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, alleging an extortion racket within the department. While Raut praised the Commissioner's recent strictness against adulterated food and unhygienic kitchens, he warned that corrupt officials are exploiting these enforcement actions to solicit bribes.

Raut claims that Designated Officers (DO) and Food Safety Officers (FSO) are threatening hotels, restaurants, and quick-commerce businesses with license suspensions to demand heavy bribes. He noted that the cost to resolve 'closing notices' has reportedly surged from approximately 10,000–12,000 rupees to between 75,000 and 2,00,000 rupees.

The allegations highlight the FDA headquarters in Bandra and the Thane office as primary hubs for these activities. Raut cited a specific incident in Thane where officials allegedly demanded 17–18 lakh rupees to restore a suspended license for a quick-commerce company. He further called for an immediate investigation into these 'rate cards' and requested mandatory verification before raids are conducted based on unconfirmed social media complaints.