Now Reading: Bombay HC slams FDA for ‘killing mosquito with sword’ over Amazon action
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Bombay HC slams FDA for ‘killing mosquito with sword’ over Amazon action
Bombay HC slams FDA for ‘killing mosquito with sword’ over Amazon action
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday pulled up the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for what it called a 'disproportionate' action against Amazon's Bhiwandi warehouse. The FDA had sealed the warehouse…
The Story in Brief
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday pulled up the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for what it called a 'disproportionate' action against Amazon's Bhiwandi warehouse. The FDA had sealed the warehouse and halted operations after accusing Amazon of sending expired food products into the retail market instead of destroying them.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad said the FDA was trying to 'kill a mosquito with a sword'. While the court lauded the crackdown on rule violations, it questioned whether shutting down all commercial establishments was the right remedy. Amazon Retail India had challenged the FDA's action.
The Indian Opinion
The 'killing mosquito with sword' jibe captures a familiar Indian regulatory trap: agencies show zeal to act but skip proportionality. Food safety matters, but sealing an entire warehouse for expired stock suggests the FDA preferred optics over process. The real test lies ahead: will the court order a measured penalty, or let Amazon off with a warning? The number to watch is how much stock was actually expired versus the total inventory seized.
Sources (2): deccanherald.com, ndtv.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
