In a swift dose of “poetic justice,” the Bombay High Court on Friday refused urgent relief to a Thane eatery facing regulatory action for serving banned analogue paneer, ruling that the establishment must now digest the same suffering it served to unsuspecting customers through “rotten” food.
The court, which has time and again pulled up the FDA for its drastic action against eateries and hotels, on Friday, however, noted that the petitioner hotel needs to suffer. The petitioner restaurant assured the court that it would not use analogue paneer again. As per a government order, offenders could face life imprisonment and a minimum fine of Rs 10 lakh in cases where consumption of unsafe food results in death. The court directed the FDA to file its affidavit in reply and posted the matter for further hearing on September 7.
Earlier this month, the Maharashtra government banned the manufacture and sale of analogue or non-dairy paneer for one year over public health concerns and widespread violations of food safety norms.
