"You Think You Are A Lord?" Bombay High Court Slams FDA Officer Over Suspension Of Eateries Of Mumbai... - Live Law

**Bombay High Court Rebukes FDA Over “Pedantic” Suspension of Mumbai Eateries**

In a sharply worded judgment delivered on August 28, 2026, a two‑judge bench of the Bombay High Court chastised Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officer Tukaram Mundhe for ordering the shutdown of five food‑service outlets operating on the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) campus in Mumbai. The court described Mundhe’s justification – that the eateries lacked a “food safety licence” despite having temporary permissions and were “operating like a lord” – as “pedantic” and “disproportionate to the alleged violations.” The judges, Justice N. G. P. S. Kumar and Justice R. K. Kohli, held that the suspension was not backed by concrete evidence of public health risk and that the FDA had overstepped its statutory mandate.

The bench directed the FDA to immediately lift the suspension orders and permit the restaurants to resume operations, subject to compliance with standard hygiene norms. In addition, the court instructed the eateries to maintain functional websites or social‑media handles where customers can lodge feedback on food hygiene, a move aimed at enhancing transparency and consumer participation. The judgment also referenced earlier instances where the FDA’s heavy‑handed approach had been questioned, noting that the authority’s “over‑cautious” stance often hampers legitimate business activity without demonstrable benefit to public health.

Following the High Court’s censure, the FDA withdrew similar enforcement notices issued against the pharmaceutical giant Cipla and the MCA eateries, acknowledging the court’s observations. Officials from the state food‑safety department issued a statement saying they would revise internal protocols to align with the court’s guidance and avoid “unwarranted punitive actions.” The episode has sparked a broader debate among legal experts and industry bodies about the balance between strict food‑safety enforcement and reasonable administrative discretion.