17-Year-Old Tea Adulteration Case Collapses in Pune, Accused Acquitted; FDA Faces Tough Questions

Pune, 15th July 2026: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is facing questions over its enforcement of food safety laws after a 17-year-old tea adulteration case ended in the acquittal of the accused due to alleged lapses in prosecution. The development comes even as the agency recently uncovered a fresh milk adulteration racket in Satara district.

The Pune Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court acquitted the accused in the tea adulteration case, which dates back to May 2008. The case was registered after Rajendra Dharankar, president of the consumer organisation SISCOM, lodged a complaint alleging the sale of adulterated tea in Pune.

Acting on the complaint, the FDA had seized 6,163 kg of tea allegedly mixed with harmful colouring agents. However, despite more than 250 court hearings over 17 years, FDA officials reportedly failed to produce the accused before the court, execute warrants, and present evidence. The repeated delays ultimately led to the collapse of the prosecution and the acquittal of the accused.

Following the verdict, Dharankar has written to FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, seeking disciplinary action against the officials responsible, an immediate appeal before the Bombay High Court, and an audit of pending food adulteration cases. He alleged that weak prosecution enables food adulterators to escape punishment, posing a serious threat to public health.