A day after the Bombay High Court criticised IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe for “selective” raids on private eateries, the Maharashtra FDA chief inspected the court’s own canteens, shutting two for operating without FSSAI licences and issuing an improvement notice to a third. The action follows a court directive to ensure uniform hygiene checks across government and semi-government food outlets statewide.
A DAY AFTER THE BOMBAY HIGH COURT rebuked IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe over his “selective” raids on private food establishments while sparing government-run establishments, the officer conducted a surprise inspection of the high court’s own canteens. On Thursday, July 30, 2026, the Bombay HC directed the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to inspect canteens run by government and semi-government institutions, state secretariat (Mantralaya) and the High Court, along with those given on contract by various government departments. Mundhe, who is commissioner of the Maharashtra FDA, began his drive by inspecting the canteens inside the Bombay High Court first.
The Maharashtra FDA, led by Tukaram Mundhe, has launched a state-wide hygiene drive, campaigning against adulterated food, milk, and unhygienic hotels and restaurants. The agency has conducted many high-profile raids on prominent food establishments, issued notices, and sealed several city-based famous and branded eateries for alleged violations of FDA regulations.
A Bombay HC bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad has previously expressed displeasure over the FDA and Tukaram Mundhe carrying inspections and raids “selectively” on private and small eateries. The Bench questioned whether the FDA’s ongoing hygiene crackdown was implemented uniformly across both private and government sectors. The court directed the FDA to inspect all government and semi-government eating establishments, particularly canteens at Mantralaya, the state secretariat, and the High Court, and submit the status of the inspections along with video recordings.
Maharashtra FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe heeded this directive swiftly: the very next after he raided the Bombay High Court’s own canteens. On Friday, July 31, 2026, The agency raided three canteens within the court’s premises, and found that two of them were operating without the required Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) license. Operations have been suspended in these canteens, while the third canteen, possessing the required license, was issued an improvement notice.
Tukaram Mudhe, accompanied by four lawyers, inspected the Mantralaya canteen, including the kitchen, drinking water arrangements, cleanliness, and overall hygiene. Officials also reviewed food quality, sanitation practices, canteen management, and compliance with food safety norms. On Friday, July 31, 2026, the Bombay HC again took up the issue, questioning the compliance certificate after a lawyer shared evidence of poor hygiene at the state secretariat canteen. The court stated that the inspection's reports and video evidence that the FDA submitted was not of the Mantralaya canteen, but instead was of another private canteen called Poornima. The court has asked for an explanation from the state for this discrepancy.
Tukaram Mundhe is a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the 2005 batch of the Maharashtra cadre. He is widely known as the “Singham of the IAS” for his strict, honest, and uncompromising approach to governance.
In May 2026, he was appointed as commissioner of the Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). Under his guidance, the FDA had launched a state-wide crackdown on hygiene in hotels and restaurants, focusing on adulterated food and unhygienic eateries. In addition to conducting inspections and raids, Mundhe has also suspended the licences of establishments, including the Cricket Club of India and MIG Cricket Club, over alleged food safety and hygiene violations.
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