Quick Answer: Since taking charge on 25 May 2026, Maharashtra FDA chief Tukaram Mundhe has suspended the licences of dozens of restaurants and eateries, around 165 by mid-August, mostly for pests, expired stock, fungus and unsafe food handling. The Tukaram Mundhe restaurant closures have turned a strict bureaucrat into a household name.
Mumbai’s diners are in fear of Tukaram Mundhe’s raids. The drive has crossed 3,137-plus inspections. Around 165 licences have been suspended and over 750 improvement notices issued. Some of them are iconic joints, roadside stalls and posh clubs.
- Mundhe is a 2005-batch IAS officer, aged 51, known as the “new Singham”.
- No-notice inspections have replaced the old practice of tipping off owners.
- Immediate suspensions were handed out for serious violations, not just notices.
- The Bombay High Court has cautioned the FDA against “shooting first”.
- Most shut eateries reopened within days after fixing their kitchens.
Why the Crackdown Went Viral
The Economic Times reported that industrialist Harsh Goenka shared a photo of a board reading, “Forget Michelin stars, Tukaram Mundhe approved eatery.” The joke stuck. Being cleared by Mundhe became the new brag.
His officers now scale up surprise checks and act fast. Scroll noted that food inspectors are “working overtime now” under a zero-tolerance rule. That speed is what unnerved the trade.
The List of Restaurants Closed by Tukaram Mundhe
Here are the confirmed restaurant and eatery cases, in order of action.
| Restaurant / Eatery | Location | Action | Reason | Date |
| Fleet & Varsha | Nariman Point, Mumbai | Licence suspended | Food misbranding | 27 Jun 2026 |
| Hotel Gopalkrishna | Santacruz East, Mumbai | Licence suspended | Rats in kitchen | 30 Jun 2026 |
| Madras Diaries | Bandra, Mumbai | Licence suspended | Hygiene lapses | 30 Jun 2026 |
| Pawan Bar & Restaurant | Navi Mumbai | Licence suspended | 63% compliance, dirty kitchen | 30 Jun 2026 |
| K Rustom & Co | South Mumbai | Licence suspended | Rats, flies, expired essence | 8 Jul 2026 |
| Parsi Dairy Farm | Marine Lines, Mumbai | Licence suspended | Fungus, uncovered food, pests | 15 Jul 2026 |
| Poornima Restaurant | Fort, Mumbai | Licence suspended, stop-business | Fungal growth, flies, dirty drains | 23 Jul 2026 |
| Bollywood Café | Goregaon East, Mumbai | Penal action (Sec 69) | Fly infestation, rusty surfaces | 14 Aug 2026 |
| Status Restaurant | Nariman Point, Mumbai | Immediate suspension | Dirty crockery, grease, rust | 21 Aug 2026 |
| Novaara | Mumbai | Licence suspended | 14 of 25 faults unresolved | Aug 2026 |
| Mathura Pure Veg | Pune | Temporary closure | Unhygienic kitchen, expired items | Aug 2026 |
Story Behind the Shutdowns
The first big sweep hit six Mumbai food businesses on 30 June. Hospitality Biz India listed the names: Fleet & Varsha lost their licence for misbranding, while rats, cockroaches and grubby kitchens sank the others.
July brought the legacy joints. The Print described rats and houseflies at K Rustom’s ice-cream parlour, plus expired flavouring and essence. A notice outside said it was shut for “renovation” from 8 July. Ice cream and raw material worth in lakhs were later seized. At Parsi Dairy Farm, inspectors found fungus on the walls and food left uncovered near rats and flies.
Then came Poornima, the six-decade-old Udupi eatery in Fort. The Free Press Journal reported fungal growth on stored bananas used for its banana vada, along with flies, stagnant water and dirty drains. Shalimar, Rehmania and Noor Mohammadi Hotel also faced action for similar lapses.
In August, four Domino’s outlets and some Pizza Hut branches were shut over cockroaches and expired stock. NDTV covered Bollywood Café in Film City, where officials flagged a severe fly problem, dirty drains and food on rusty surfaces.
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Official Authority Behind Each Order
Every action rests on the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Normally, a food business gets an improvement notice and 14 days to fix faults. But the Act also allows the FDA to suspend a licence immediately “in the interest of public health”.
Mundhe’s team used this power in the serious cases. Assistant commissioner Ashwini Ranjane said a food inspector can judge an unsafe kitchen at a glance.
What the Owners Say
Not everyone is convinced. Many owners told the courts that the FDA skipped the improvement-notice stage. Mint highlighted the food trade’s worry that immediate suspensions ignore due process. B Shami of Crown Bakery admitted the problem: “Mumbai city’s hygiene levels are questionable,” he said, but blamed open drains and rats.
The judges agreed in part. The Bombay High Court warned the FDA against “shooting first and then asking questions”. Benches in Mumbai, Nagpur and Aurangabad set aside suspensions in at least nine cases. On 18 August, the court called the FDA “overboard” and fined it ₹5 lakh over Gurunanak Dairy and Sweets, a Pune sweet shop that had 98% hygiene compliance and stayed closed for 34 days.
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What Happened After the Closure?
Most eateries bounced back fast. Parsi Dairy reopened after about ten days once it passed a re-inspection. K Rustom decided to renovate its 70-year-old store, and its licence was restored. Shalimar and Rehmania got their licences back after meeting standards.
Pawan Bar scored 100% on re-inspection, yet the FDA did not lift the ban. The Bombay High Court finally stepped in, and the kitchen remained shut for over 25 days. Poornima also moved court for relief.
Mundhe stood firm. He said suspensions come only “after multiple violations” and that his team follows due process. “It’s not about me. It’s about food safety,” he told NDTV Profit.
FAQs
How many restaurants has Tukaram Mundhe closed?
Ans: More than 165 restaurant and eatery licences were suspended overall by mid-August 2026.
Which famous Mumbai eateries were shut?
Ans: K Rustom, Parsi Dairy Farm, Poornima, Shalimar, Rehmania and Noor Mohammadi all faced action, along with four Domino’s outlets and Bollywood Café.
Why did the FDA suspend these licences?
Ans: Inspectors found cockroaches, rats, flies, fungus, expired stock and unsafe food handling. Some kitchens prepared food on rusty, unclean surfaces.
Did the courts stop any closures?
Ans: Yes. The Bombay High Court reined in the FDA in at least nine cases and warned it against acting without first issuing improvement notices.
Have the closed restaurants reopened?
Ans: Most have. Parsi Dairy, K Rustom, Shalimar and others reopened after fixing hygiene faults and clearing a re-inspection.
What is the Tukaram Mundhe FDA Action 2026 based on?
Ans: It rests on the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which allows immediate suspension when public health is genuinely at risk.
Sources & References:
- The Economic Times – The industrialist Harsh Goenka shared a photo of a board reading, “Forget Michelin stars, Tukaram Mundhe approved eatery”.
- Scroll – Food inspectors are “working overtime now” under a zero-tolerance rule.
- Mint – The food trade’s worry that immediate suspensions ignore due process
- NDTV – Officials flagged a severe fly problem, dirty drains and food on rusty surfaces at Bollywood Café in Film City.
