Mumbai: A dinner at one of Mumbai’s luxury hotels took an unexpected turn after cardiologist Dr Ashok Seth spotted a baby cockroach on his table at Romano’s restaurant in JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar.
Seth shared a video of the insect on social media and jokingly named it “Roachie”. He said the cockroach appeared to be unwilling to leave despite attempts to move it, eventually prompting him and his companions to leave the restaurant.
Doctor Tags Maharashtra FDA Chief
Sharing the incident on X, Seth tagged Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and JW Marriott.
Seth wrote that the unexpected guest had appeared at their table and added a reference to Mundhe’s ongoing food-safety enforcement drive in Maharashtra.
He said the incident “took our appetite away” and that they eventually left the restaurant.
There has been no detailed public response from the hotel regarding the incident at the time of reporting.
Tukaram Mundhe’s Food Safety Drive
The incident comes amid an intensified food-safety enforcement campaign in Maharashtra led by FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe.
According to reports, FDA teams have conducted more than 3,000 inspections and raids covering restaurants, hotels, food manufacturers, street vendors and major food chains.
The department has also taken action against several prominent food outlets over alleged food-safety and hygiene violations, including some outlets of Domino’s, Pizza Hut and other major chains. The FDA has also inspected food operations at several prominent establishments in Mumbai.
The appearance of a cockroach inside a restaurant can raise questions about pest control and hygiene standards, although the single reported incident does not by itself establish the overall hygiene conditions of the establishment.