A high-voltage drama erupted over the sale of unsafe and expired food items in the Waijapur area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, Maharashtra. The incident unfolded after a two-year-old child unexpectedly took ill upon consuming a edible snack purchased from a local paan store. Enraged by the situation and perceived inaction against the vendor, local residents surrounded a visiting inspector from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As tempers flared at the scene, the crowd accused the official of shielding the shopkeeper and attempting to hush up the matter. In an extreme turn of events, angry citizens attempted to force-feed the official the very same expired biscuits that had been confiscated from the store, leading to prolonged tension and traffic disruptions on the Gangapur Chaufuli road.
Toddler Hospitalized After Consuming Unsafe Food
The trouble began at a small paan shop situated on Ladgaon Road in Waijapur town. Two local residents, identified as Mithun Bahirat and Dadasaheb Thombre, had purchased a snack known as 'khatta-meetha choora' from the shop and fed it to a two-year-old toddler. Shortly after consuming the item, the child experienced severe dizziness and suffered a sudden deterioration in health. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the anxious family rushed the child to a nearby hospital for emergency medical attention. As the child received medical care, news of the incident spread quickly, sparking widespread anger among nearby residents over the unrestricted sale of past-date consumables in the neighborhood.
FDA Inspection Uncovers Expired Goods
Following the medical emergency, the complainant party placed a phone call to the FDA regional office in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to lodge a formal complaint. Responding to the alert, an FDA inspector promptly arrived at the specified paan shop on Ladgaon Road to conduct an inspection of the premises. Upon searching the shop, the official could not locate the specific batch of 'khatta-meetha choora' referenced in the complaint. However, a detailed inspection of the shelf stock revealed multiple packets of biscuits whose expiration dates had long elapsed. The inspector formally seized these expired biscuit packages as physical evidence of regulatory non-compliance.
Bribery Allegations and Blockade at Gangapur Chaufuli
Dissatisfied with the preliminary inspection, the complainants leveled serious charges against the shop owner, alleging that he had hidden the toxic stock prior to the official's arrival and presented only fresh items. Furthermore, the crowd accused the inspecting officer of accepting an illicit financial bribe from the vendor in exchange for watering down the charges. Unofficial bribery allegations remained unverified, but public anger surged as the inspector prepared to depart. A group of citizens pursued the official's vehicle and intercepted him at the busy Gangapur Chaufuli junction near Waijapur town, where a crowd exceeding one hundred people rapidly gathered.
Attempt to Force-Feed Confiscated Biscuits
Surrounding the FDA official at the intersection, the crowd demanded immediate answers regarding the lack of direct punitive measures against the paan shop owner. Holding the seized expired biscuit packages, several aggrieved individuals tried to force the food into the inspector's mouth. Members of the crowd shouted that if responsible inspectors refused to crack down on vendors selling harmful products, they should consume the expired items themselves to experience the physiological impact firsthand. The heated confrontation created severe disruption, locking up transit routes across the arterial crossing.
Administrative Intervention and Traffic Clearance
With vehicles stranded on both sides of Gangapur Chaufuli, local law enforcement and administrative authorities mobilized swiftly. Trainee Sub-Divisional Officer Vinay Sonawane arrived at the scene alongside a police detachment to calm the crowd. Officials urged the public to refrain from taking the law into their own hands or obstructing traffic, advising them instead to register a formal police complaint for legal action. Police personnel gradually dispersed the crowd, clearing the road and restoring normal traffic flow. Authorities confirmed that formal investigations into the seized food items and the allegations surrounding the incident are underway.
