"Do You Feel You Are A Lord?" High Court Pulls Up Tukaram Mundhe's Food Safety Body - NDTV

**Bombay High Court rebukes FDA chief over “lord‑like” attitude in MCA eatery crackdown** The Bombay High Court on Thursday sharply criticised Maharashtra’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief, Tukaram Mundhe, for his handling of a crackdown on food‑service outlets operating on the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) grounds. In a pointed exchange, the bench asked Mundhe, “Do you feel you are a lord?” after the regulator had ordered the suspension of five restaurants and a cafeteria for alleged violations of food‑safety norms. The court described the FDA’s approach as “pedantic” and warned that regulatory powers must be exercised with proportionality and respect for legitimate business operations.

Following the judicial rebuke, the FDA promptly withdrew its suspension orders against the five MCA eateries, allowing them to resume service. The court’s decision also led to the reversal of earlier punitive notices issued to the pharmaceutical company Cipla, which had been caught up in the same enforcement sweep. Legal experts noted that the ruling underscores the need for regulatory agencies to balance strict compliance checks with procedural fairness, especially when actions affect large public venues and commercial interests.

The episode has sparked a broader debate on the limits of administrative authority in Maharashtra’s food‑safety regime. While the FDA maintains that its interventions are aimed at protecting public health, critics argue that the agency’s tactics in this case bordered on overreach, potentially harming livelihoods without sufficient evidence of risk. The High Court’s intervention is likely to prompt a review of the FDA’s enforcement protocols and may set a precedent for future disputes involving regulatory oversteps.