Maharashtra FDA suspends MLA hostel caterer's licence after 'stale food' claim by legislator
Mumbai, Jul 9 (PTI): The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Wednesday evening suspended the licence of the caterer which operates the canteen at the Akashwani MLA hostel in Mumbai, where a staffer was assaulted by a Shiv Sena legislator for allegedly serving stale food.
The FDA, in its suspension order, stated that the contractor (Ajanta Caterers) had violated provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, as well as the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
The violations were found during an inspection conducted at the hostel earlier in the day, said the regulator.
The FDA's order directed Ajanta Caterers to cease food service operations at the hostel premises starting Thursday (July 10).
The action comes after Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad slapped and punched an employee at the MLAs' hostel canteen for serving "stale food".
The MLA from Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led party said he had repeatedly raised concerns about the quality of food served in the canteen but no corrective action was taken.
"I had complained several times about the food served in the canteen but the situation remained unchanged," Gaikwad claimed.
After the incident on Tuesday night, the Buldhana MLA said the food served to him was of poor quality and he will raise the issue during the ongoing monsoon session of the #Maharashtra legislature.
— Deccan Herald (@DeccanHerald) July 9, 2025
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
