Officials extorting lakhs: Raut's big claims against Tukaram Mundhe's FDA
What's the story
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has accused officials of the Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) of extorting money from businesses. In a letter to Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, Raut claimed several business operators from Nagpur, Pune, Solapur, Wardha and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar had approached him with accounts of extortion through "closing notices." He claimed recent crackdowns have turned the FDA's Bandra headquarters and Thane office into centers of extortion, with officials bypassing legal notices to extract large sums from businesses.
Extortion claims
Designated officers threatening hotels, quick-commerce businesses: Raut
Raut alleged that designated officers, assistant commissioners, and food safety officers are openly threatening hotels and quick-commerce businesses with license suspensions.
He cited specific instances of alleged extortion, including a case where two designated officers in Thane collected ₹17-18 lakh from a quick-commerce company to restore a suspended license.
In another instance, he said a hotel's license was suspended based on a social media post about a rat, despite no rodent being found during inspection.
Inspection scrutiny
'Closing notice rate cards' in Bandra, Thane
Raut also expressed concern over the FDA's inspection methods, saying most raids were initiated through customer complaints without independent verification.
He demanded an urgent inquiry into "closing notice rate cards" allegedly operating in Bandra, Thane, and other divisions.
The Shiv Sena leader claimed that before Mundhe took office as FDA Commissioner, the rate for a closing notice was ₹10,000-₹12,000 but has now risen to ₹75,000-₹2 lakh under his watch.
Twitter Post
Read letter here
Shri @Tukaram_IndIAS ji
— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) September 28, 2026
आपल्या माहितीसाठी सादर!@Dev_Fadnavis जी अत्यंत गांभीर्याने घ्यावा असा हा विषय!@FDA_MAHARASHTRA
(कोणाच्याही व्यक्तिगत राग लोभाशिवाय) pic.twitter.com/U1Q6BZtsND
Transparency demand
'FDA officials indulging in outright looting'
Raut also demanded the FDA to publicly disclose reasons, dates, and summaries of hearings for every license suspension and reinstatement.
He wrote to Mundhe, "You (Mundhe) say that the system is improving. But if there is no control over your own officers, this improvement remains incomplete."
The Shiv Sena leader concluded by saying that FDA officials are not just asking for money but are indulging in what is being called "outright looting."