Police have registered an FIR against a Reliance Consumer Products director and nine others after the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seized food products worth Rs 48.09 lakh during a multi-district crackdown on the alleged diversion and sale of expired, damaged and rejected food items, 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 10 accused include officials and employees associated with Reliance Consumer Products, Reliance Retail, Blinkit and Zomato Hyperpure, along with disposal agency operators and local suppliers.
Those named in the FIR include V Subramaniam, Whole-time Director of Reliance Consumer Products Ltd; Ashok Kumar Singh of Reliance Consumer Products Ltd; Vijay Bhikaji Kharmale, nominee of Reliance Retail Ltd; and Nilesh Ramdasrao Deshmukh, warehouse manager at Reliance Retail Ltd.
The other accused are Arbinder Singh Dhinsa, Whole-time Director of Blinkit Commerce Pvt. Ltd; Deepak Singh of Blinkit Commerce Pvt. Ltd; Abid Shaikh of Zomato Hyperpure Pvt. Ltd; Babar Miya Ahmed Siddiqui of M/s B K Dispose; Gulzar Abdul Khan, a supplier from Chavindra, Bhiwandi; and Abdul Mobin Khan of Discount Store, Bhiwandi.
FDA sources said the operation was conducted simultaneously at multiple locations across Thane and Pune districts between October 14 and 15. The total value of the seized stock was Rs 48,09,924.
The seized products included stock worth over Rs 24 lakh from a disposal yard in Bhiwandi, around Rs 4.92 lakh from Reliance Consumer Products' warehouse at Vadpe and nearly Rs 7.81 lakh from Zomato Hyperpure's facility at Usatane.
The FDA's preliminary investigation indicated that expired, damaged and customer-rejected food products meant for destruction were allegedly diverted through disposal agencies, unlicensed sorting yards and brokers before reaching retailers for sale to consumers, a source told PTI.
The disposal agencies allegedly issued certificates and other documents claiming the products had been destroyed without adequately verifying whether the destruction had taken place. FDA officials also found discrepancies in disposal records, including mismatches in quantities and inconsistencies in consignor-consignee details.
The stock was allegedly sorted at unlicensed yards in Bhiwandi, where packets that appeared saleable were separated and sold to brokers and suppliers, the source said.
Expired and leaking products were subsequently found displayed for sale at a retail outlet in Gulzar Nagar, Bhiwandi, which was operating without a licence or purchase bills.
The FDA deployed seven teams comprising assistant commissioners and food safety officers for coordinated inspections in the two districts. Officials inventoried and seized the stock, collected samples, recorded statements and issued directions prohibiting the movement, sale or destruction of the seized products.
Following hearings on October 15, the licences of five establishments were suspended, while business operations at four unlicensed premises were stopped, an official said.