A baby cockroach running around on his dinner table prompted prominent cardiologist and Fortis Healthcare chairman Dr Ashok Seth to post a sarcastic note about JW Marriott hotel on Sunday evening. The incident has raised hygiene concerns at one of the country’s most prominent luxury hotels.
Dr Seth was dining at the five-star hotel’s Romano restaurant in Mumbai on Saturday evening when he spotted a cockroach on his table running around the dishes.
“Look who came for dinner unexpectedly. ‘Roachie’ – a baby cockroach was on our table wanting to share our dinner at the Romano restaurant at JW Marriott, Sahar, Mumbai, Saturday night!!!” he posted on X on Sunday evening.
“Despite our persuasion, ‘Roachie’ refused to leave. Maybe wanted pizza and not pasta,” he added.
Dr Seth further said the sight made him lose his appetite and he left without finishing his dinner.
“But he (the cockroach) really took our appetite away. We left.”
Look who came for dinner unexpectedly. ‘Roachie’ – a baby *cockroach was on our table wanting to share our dinner at the Romano restaurant at JW Marriott , Sahar , Mumbai, Saturday night*!!! Despite our persuasion ‘ Roachie’ refused to leave . Maybe wanted Piazza and not… pic.twitter.com/w1h92KZiaU
— Dr. Ashok Seth (@Dr_AshokSeth) September 20, 2026
There has been no response from JW Marriott yet on the incident.
The senior cardiologist then twisted the knife.
“Thankfully we are in Mr Mundhe’s territory and he most likely will look into this also,” he wrote, ending with a reference to Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, who has become a household name recently for his strict action against hygiene and food safety violations at restaurants, hotels and warehouses.
He tagged Mundhe, FSSAI and JW Marriott in his post.
Speaking to NDTV on Monday, Dr Seth called it a serious issue and slammed JW Marriott for compromising on hygiene.
“We spotted one cockroach on the table, I am sure there will be more in the kitchen. This shows Marriott’s extremely casual attitude towards hygiene,” he told NDTV.
Pointing out that he had gone for dinner with some foreign delegates, Dr Seth called the incident “an embarrassment for the country”.
“This is a five-star hotel. They charge so much for the food. They must do better,” an angry Dr Seth said.
He also hoped that Tukaram Munde will take note of the issue.
Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has led a massive statewide food safety crackdown involving raids and inspections since taking charge in May 2026.
He has suspended licences and permits of high-profile restaurants, cafes and food outlets, flagging hygiene and food quality issues.
Mundhe has exposed widespread critical failures, including cockroach and rat infestations, improper food storage temperatures, expired ingredients and inadequate sanitation at eateries.
