India

Police File FIR Against Reliance, Blinkit, Zomato Officials After FDA Seizure of Expired Food

By Sneha Biswas

Police have registered a first information report (FIR) against officials of Reliance Consumer Products, Reliance Retail, Blinkit and Zomato Hyperpure, according to PTI. The FIR was filed at the Shanti Nagar police station in Thane and names 10 individuals, including senior officials and employees from the four companies, as well as disposal agency operators and local suppliers. It was registered under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

The action follows a Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) crackdown that seized food stock worth ₹48 lakh during operations in Thane and Pune districts on 14 and 15 October. Seizures included ₹4.92 lakh from a Reliance Consumer Products warehouse in Vadpe, almost ₹7.81 lakh from a Zomato Hyperpure facility in Usatane, and over ₹24 lakh from a Bhiwandi disposal yard, bringing the total to ₹48,09,924.

FDA officials said the preliminary investigation found expired, damaged and customer‑rejected products that were intended for destruction but were diverted through disposal agencies, unlicensed sorting yards and brokers to retailers for sale. The agencies allegedly issued certificates claiming the products were destroyed, but records showed discrepancies in quantities and consignor‑consignee details. Saleable packets were reportedly sold to brokers and suppliers, while expired and leaking items were found on display at a retail outlet in Gulzar Nagar, Bhiwandi, operating without a license or purchase bills.

The FDA deployed seven teams of assistant commissioners and food safety officers to inventory, seize, sample and record statements on the stock, and to prohibit its movement, sale or destruction. On 15 October, licenses of five establishments were suspended and operations at four unlicensed premises were halted.

The FIR lists V Subramaniam, Whole‑time Director of Reliance Consumer Products Ltd; Ashok Kumar Singh, Reliance Consumer Products Ltd; Vijay Bhikaji Kharmale, Nominee of Reliance Retail Ltd; Nilesh Ramdasrao Deshmukh, Warehouse Manager of Reliance Retail Ltd; Arbinder Singh Dhinsa, Director of Blinkit Commerce; Deepak Singh, Blinkit Commerce; Abid Shaikh, Zomato Hyperpure; Babar Miya Ahmed Siddiqui, B K Dispose; Gulzar Abdul Khan, supplier from Chavindra, Bhiwandi; and Abdul Mobin Khan, Discount Store, Bhiwandi.