Maharashtra Govt Suspends 4 Senior FDA Officers, Probes 21 Others Over Procedural Lapses in Hookah Tobacco Raids
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The Maharashtra government has cracked down on administrative overreach by suspending four senior Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials and ordering departmental inquiries against 21 others. The punitive action follows a detailed internal investigation spearheaded by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe into flawed enforcement actions and jurisdictional breaches regarding prohibited tobacco products.
Food and Drug Administration Minister Narhari Zirwal confirmed the suspensions, which stem from high-profile raids conducted against two firms: Thane-based M/s High Street Impex LLP and M/s SOEX India Pvt Ltd, located in Maval taluka of Pune district.
Who Are the Suspended Officials?
The state government's suspension orders target key regional personnel involved in the contentious inspections. The suspended officers comprise:
- Digambar Bhogawade – Joint Commissioner (Food), Pune Division
- Yaduraj Dahatonde – Assistant Commissioner (Food), Flying Squad (Nagpur/Pune)
- Ashok Ilager – Food Safety Officer
- C. R. Swami – Food Safety Officer
According to the disciplinary notifications, departmental inquiry proceedings have been initiated under Rule 8 of the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979.
Flawed Classification and Jurisdictional Overreach
The catalyst for the state’s intervention involved serious legal vulnerabilities uncovered during raids on the two tobacco-manufacturing and exporting firms. In the case of M/s SOEX India Pvt Ltd, the FDA's special flying squad previously raided premises in Takwe village, seizing 5,48,488 kilograms of tobacco products valued at roughly INR 31.67 crore and sealing the facility.
However, subsequent scrutiny revealed profound procedural errors. Investigators found that officials initiated penal actions under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, despite products bearing clear commercial labels reading "Not for edible use/Only for use in hookah for smoking purpose."
State authorities noted that because the seized goods were non-food, flavored or aromatic hookah tobacco items, officials failed to legally classify the commodities or seek formal written guidance from superiors before executing raids outside their assigned territorial jurisdictions. Officers were allegedly forced to participate in operations well beyond their legal purview, triggering widespread internal friction across regional divisions.
Widening Probe and Administrative Fallout
With four senior figures suspended and another 21 personnel facing disciplinary scrutiny, the total administrative fallout spans 25 officials. The probe has exposed internal turf wars within the state regulatory machinery, as various field officers dispute accountability regarding sampling protocols and enforcement directives.
The state government maintains that strict adherence to statutory boundaries and proper legal classification remains mandatory to safeguard legitimate commercial operations from arbitrary regulatory harassment.
