Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officer was cornered. Expired biscuit packets were held up before him. “Eat them yourself,” people shouted as an angry crowd closed in around the official, accusing him of accepting a bribe to shield a shopkeeper. In the chaos, some people tried to push the biscuits into his mouth.
The scene, captured on video, unfolded in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
The confrontation stemmed from the alleged sale of expired food products at a local paan shop.
According to local residents, the controversy began after a two-year-old child fell ill and experienced dizziness after eating savoury snack mix purchased from the shop. The child’s condition reportedly worsened, following which the family rushed the child to a hospital for treatment.
The incident sparked outrage among the child’s relatives and other residents, who contacted the FDA office in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and lodged a complaint.
Following the complaint, an FDA officer reached the spot to inspect the shop. Locals, however, alleged that the savoury snack mix linked to the incident had already been removed before the inspection began.
During the inspection, the officer reportedly found several packets of expired biscuits being sold at the shop. Residents alleged that while the expired products were seized, no strict action was taken against the shopkeeper.
The crowd further accused the officer of trying to settle the matter after allegedly accepting a bribe.
As anger mounted, residents surrounded the officer and challenged him to eat the biscuits if they were safe for consumption. Some people then tried to force the expired biscuits into his mouth while accusing him of protecting the shopkeeper.
The incident comes as the Maharashtra FDA intensifies its crackdown on food safety violations across the state. In recent weeks, officials have conducted a series of inspections targeting food adulteration, the sale of expired products and other safety lapses.
(With inputs from Mohsin Sheikh)
