{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Mumbai hotel finds two insects, a fly buzzes through court, and the Bombay High Court says be practical",
  "summary": "The Bombay High Court is hearing a challenge from Navi Mumbai's Park Inn by Radisson hotel after Maharashtra's FDA suspended its food license over two insects found during an inspection. When a fly turned up in the courtroom mid-hearing, the acting chief justice said food safety rules must be applied realistically in India, even while insisting public health cannot be compromised.",
  "content": "A food license suspension over two insects has landed a well-known Navi Mumbai hotel, Park Inn by Radisson, in the Bombay High Court, where judges questioned whether Maharashtra's Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, is being too rigid in enforcing safety rules. The court made clear that a realistic approach is needed while applying food safety norms, even as it stressed that public health can never be compromised.\n\nThe dispute began when the FDA carried out a surprise inspection at the hotel as part of its special inspection drive. During that check, inspectors found two insects on the premises, and on that basis the FDA suspended the hotel's food license. The hotel is one of 100 establishments whose licenses the FDA has suspended in this drive. The hotel management challenged the decision, moving the Bombay High Court, where the matter came up before a bench led by acting chief justice Ravindra V. Ghuge along with another judge.\n\nThe lawyer's argument: the count doesn't matter\nAdvocate Mayur Khandeparkar, appearing for the hotel, argued that the FDA had not given adequate written reasons for suspending the license. He told the court, \"Whether one cockroach was found or ten, that isn't the issue.\" His broader submission was that a license should not be suspended merely because a few shortcomings turned up on an inspection checklist, and that such a harsh response to minor lapses was disproportionate.\n\nA fly turns up mid-hearing\nIn a moment of unexpected irony, a fly was spotted flying around inside the courtroom itself as the arguments went on. The acting chief justice remarked, in a lighter vein, that a large insect had perched on his own desk just the previous week, and that a fly was present in the courtroom even now. He then observed, \"We are in India, so we have to adopt a practical view.\" Turning directly to the government lawyer, he added, \"Madam, we are in India. You too will have to take a practical stand.\"\n\nThe FDA's defense: health cannot wait\nGovernment lawyer Neha Bhide, representing the FDA, defended the department's action, arguing that food safety is directly linked to public health and that there is no room for laxity on that front. Her submission was that this is precisely why the FDA has to act firmly when violations are found.\n\nCourt turns its gaze on its own canteen\nDuring the hearing, the bench asked the government lawyer whether government canteens are being inspected with the same rigour as private hotels. The court went as far as asking whether the Bombay High Court's own canteen had ever been inspected. The government lawyer responded that the BMC canteen's license had already been suspended, and that the Mantralaya building's canteen had been raided last year, with its license suspended as well. Following this exchange, the court ordered an inspection of the High Court's own canteen and asked for a report to be filed by Friday.\n\nOther restaurants now head to court\nOnce the Park Inn case came to light, the dispute stopped being limited to a single hotel. The well-known Purnima Udupi restaurant, located near the High Court, has also approached the court against its own license suspension, and that petition is likely to be heard by Friday. The restaurant has alleged that officials acted arbitrarily and that records were tampered with, and that the procedure laid down under food safety law was not followed.\n\nA statewide crackdown, a hundred licenses deep\nThe FDA has appointed more than 40 new food safety officers this year, and since then it has intensified its inspection drive across the entire state. As part of this campaign, the licenses of several prominent Mumbai clubs have also been suspended, including the Cricket Club of India, MIG Cricket Club, RK Juhu Gymkhana, Aparna Juhu Gymkhana and Willingdon Sports Club. According to the FDA, its inspections have uncovered a range of lapses at these venues, including pest infestation, poor storage of food items, dilapidated infrastructure, a lack of temperature control, and carelessness around staff hygiene.\n\nWhat this means for you\nIf you regularly eat out at hotels, restaurants or clubs, this case affects the safety checks behind your meal.\n\n• Across India: the court's remarks could shape how food safety rules get enforced nationwide, influencing similar license disputes in other states.\n• In Mumbai: the FDA's ongoing drive is directly hitting hotels, restaurants and well-known clubs across the city, so diners there should keep an eye on license-related news about the places they visit.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. Which hotel is at the centre of this Bombay High Court case?\nThe case involves Navi Mumbai's Park Inn by Radisson hotel, whose food license was suspended by the FDA.\n\n2. Why was the hotel's food license suspended?\nDuring an FDA inspection drive, two insects were found at the hotel, and its food license was suspended on that basis.\n\n3. What happened with the fly in the courtroom?\nA fly was seen flying around the courtroom during the hearing, prompting the acting chief justice to remark that a practical approach is needed in India.\n\n4. Will the Bombay High Court's own canteen be inspected?\nYes, the court has ordered an inspection of its own canteen and asked for a report to be submitted by Friday.\n\n5. Have other restaurants besides Park Inn approached the court?\nYes, the Purnima Udupi restaurant located near the High Court has also filed a petition against its license suspension, likely to be heard by Friday.\n\n6. Which other clubs have been affected by the FDA's drive?\nThe Cricket Club of India, MIG Cricket Club, RK Juhu Gymkhana, Aparna Juhu Gymkhana and Willingdon Sports Club have also had their licenses suspended.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/maharashtra/munbai-ke-hotala-men-mile-do-kire-korta-ruma-men-uri-makkhi-bombay-haikorta-bola-vyavaharika-banie-12095",
  "category": "Maharashtra",
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-30",
  "tags": [
    "Bombay High Court",
    "FDA",
    "food license",
    "Park Inn hotel",
    "food safety",
    "Navi Mumbai",
    "Cricket Club of India"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}