A Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration crackdown has exposed alleged diversion of expired, damaged and customer-rejected food products into the retail market, with police registering an FIR against 10 people linked to Reliance Consumer Products, Reliance Retail, Blinkit, Zomato Hyperpure, disposal agencies and local suppliers.
The FDA seized food stock valued at Rs 48,09,924 during inspections conducted simultaneously across locations in Thane and Pune districts on October 14 and 15, an official said. The FIR was registered at Shanti Nagar police station in Thane under relevant provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The accused include V Subramaniam, Whole-time Director of Reliance Consumer Products Ltd; Ashok Kumar Singh of Reliance Consumer Products; Vijay Bhikaji Kharmale, nominee of Reliance Retail; Nilesh Ramdasrao Deshmukh, a Reliance Retail warehouse manager; Arbinder Singh Dhinsa, Whole-time Director of Blinkit Commerce; Deepak Singh of Blinkit; and Abid Shaikh of Zomato Hyperpure. Disposal agency operators and local suppliers were also named.
According to the preliminary investigation cited by the FDA, products intended for destruction were allegedly diverted through disposal agencies, unlicensed sorting yards and brokers before being supplied to retailers. The agencies allegedly issued certificates and related documents stating that the goods had been destroyed, while officials found discrepancies in disposal records, including quantity mismatches and inconsistencies in consignor and consignee details.
The largest seizure, valued at more than Rs 24 lakh, was made at a disposal yard in Bhiwandi. The FDA also seized stock worth around Rs 4.92 lakh from a Reliance Consumer Products warehouse at Vadpe and nearly Rs 7.81 lakh from Zomato Hyperpure’s facility at Usatane. The figures cover products taken into custody during the coordinated enforcement operation.
FDA officials said the stock was allegedly sorted at unlicensed yards in Bhiwandi, where packets that appeared saleable were separated and passed to brokers and suppliers. Expired and leaking products were later found displayed for sale at a retail outlet in Gulzar Nagar, Bhiwandi, which was operating without a licence or purchase bills.
The case highlights the importance of verifiable destruction in the urban food-supply chain, where large warehouses, quick-commerce networks, disposal contractors and local retail outlets are connected through fast-moving logistics. The FDA’s preliminary findings concern the movement and documentation of rejected stock; the allegations will be examined through the police investigation and legal process.
The FDA deployed seven teams comprising assistant commissioners and food safety officers. Officials inventoried and seized the products, collected samples, recorded statements and issued directions prohibiting the movement, sale or destruction of the seized stock.
Following hearings on October 15, the licences of five establishments were suspended, while operations at four unlicensed premises were stopped, an official said. The investigation and enforcement proceedings will determine the responsibility of the individuals and entities named in the FIR.
