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MumbaiShahrukh, Ajay get notices as IAS officer Mundhe intensifies Maharashtra’s food safety crackdown

A Mumbai restaurant manager once panicked after learning that a table had been booked in IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe’s name. The kitchen was checked, refrigerators inspected and expiry dates rechecked.

Mundhe later learnt that his son may have booked the table for his birthday. He narrated the incident in an interview.

The story reflects the reputation of an officer who has spent 21 years in government service taking on illegal practices, powerful businesses and, often, political resistance.

A farmer’s son who never gave up

Mundhe was born on June 3, 1975, in Tadsuonna village of Beed district to a farming family struggling with drought, debt and unreliable electricity.

From Class 3, he studied while working on the farm. He carried his polio-affected brother to school without shoes, sold vegetables at weekly markets and irrigated fields at night whenever electricity was available.

After Class 10, his elder brother Ashok, who had found a job in Aurangabad, brought him there. It was his first glimpse of life outside the village.

He completed Class 12 in science and topped his university in 1996. His brother then sent him to Delhi to buy UPSC books and find coaching.

Mundhe returned after just a few days. He recalled that a hotel attendant asked if he wanted beer. “Do I look like someone who drinks beer?” he said, before picking up his belongings and returning to Aurangabad without a ticket.

Four attempts before the UPSC breakthrough

Mundhe failed his first UPSC attempt in 1997 and reached the interview stage in 1999. After securing only 57% in his MA, he temporarily gave up on the UPSC dream and cleared the Maharashtra Public Service Commission examination.

His brother was unhappy with the decision and stopped speaking to him. Mundhe tried UPSC again and, in his fourth attempt, secured All India Rank 20 in 2005.

His first posting was as Assistant Collector in Solapur, where action against sand mafias led to a deadly attack.

His career thereafter became synonymous with tough administrative action:

• In Nanded, action against illegal sand mining led to his transfer within five months.
• In Mumbai Sales Tax, he helped recover Rs 310 crore from tax evaders.
• As Solapur Collector, he acted against water tanker operators accused of supplying less water than claimed.
• In Navi Mumbai, he launched “Walk with Commissioner” to hear citizens’ complaints directly.
• He cancelled a Rs 20 crore marble statue project and a Rs 163 crore solar project, saying public money should instead benefit people with disabilities.

Transfers followed his toughest postings

As Pune’s public transport chief, Mundhe suspended 158 contract drivers who had allegedly remained absent for years.

In 2020, he became Nagpur Municipal Commissioner and later Smart City CEO. His handling of tenders drew criticism from political leaders, including Nitin Gadkari, who questioned his appointment as CEO and complained to the PMO.

In 2022, as Maharashtra Healthcare Commissioner, Mundhe stopped government doctors from private practice and linked salaries to biometric attendance.

His methods have frequently upset politicians and officials. He has faced allegations of imposing heavy workloads and making staff work beyond office hours and on holidays.

In 2016, a no-confidence motion was brought against him. In 21 years, he has been transferred 25 times — roughly once every 10 months. He received the Best Collector award for 2015-16.

FDA campaign starts with a massive crackdown

Mundhe became Maharashtra FDA Commissioner on May 25, 2026. Within his first week, more than 50 premises selling prohibited or substandard products were raided and around 100 people arrested.

The campaign soon expanded to fake liquor, gutkha, pan masala, counterfeit sweets, paneer, ice cream and restaurants violating food safety standards.

The scale of the crackdown includes:

• More than 1,100 raids.
• Over 3,100 inspections.
• 165 licences suspended.
• Goods worth more than Rs 50 crore seized.
• 86 quick-commerce warehouses inspected.
• 14 warehouse licences suspended.

Inspections of Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto warehouses reportedly found cockroaches, goods lying on floors, poor freezer temperatures and delivery personnel without required licences.

Four Domino’s Pizza outlets in Mumbai also had their licences suspended. FDA teams inspected long-established establishments including Noor Mohammadi Hotel, Shalimar Restaurant, K Rustom & Co and Juhu Gymkhana.

Even the High Court canteen faced action

The Bombay High Court questioned why FDA inspections were focused on private establishments and said government premises must also follow food safety rules.

Mundhe’s team then inspected the High Court canteens. Two of three were reportedly found with dirt, cockroaches and insects. One allegedly did not have an FSSAI licence. Both were shut immediately.

Canteens at Mantralaya and IIT Bombay were subsequently inspected.

Mundhe also ordered restaurants not to ask customers which water they wanted. They must provide clean and safe water, while bottled water can be given if specifically requested.

Bollywood stars now face FDA notices

Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff have been served notices over a Vimal Elaichi advertisement.

The FDA says the advertisement promotes pan masala in the guise of cardamom, while the production and sale of tobacco products are banned in Maharashtra.

Patanjali was also raided over allegedly misleading advertisements claiming miraculous cures, with goods worth more than Rs 51 lakh seized.

Mundhe has issued a toll-free number for complaints about fake, adulterated or prohibited food.

Tough action, legal setbacks and threats

The Bombay High Court recently imposed a Rs 5 lakh fine on the FDA after a Pune sweet shop whose licence was suspended in June was found during a July inspection to be 98% compliant. Yet the suspension order had not been withdrawn.

Mundhe’s record has brought him both admirers and opponents. He lives with his wife and two children, while his elder brother Ashok has retired as a Deputy Commissioner.

His family has faced threats, including threats to their lives. Mundhe, however, says he is not worried.

His approach remains straightforward:

• “I work within the rules.”
• “No one can dare offer me a bribe.”
• “If something is right, I will do it.”
• “If something is wrong, I will not do it.”
• “Justice is my only aim.”

For Mundhe, transfers are part of government service. He says every new posting is simply another opportunity to bring change.