Bombay HC directs Amazon to give expired goods to Maharashtra FDA for disposal
The Bombay High Court on Monday directed Amazon Retail India to hand over all expired and perished goods from its Bhiwandi warehouse to the Maharashtra
The Bombay High Court on Monday directed Amazon Retail India to hand over all expired and perished goods from its Bhiwandi warehouse to the Maharashtra FDA for scientific disposal, days after it pulled up the agency over its action against the facility. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad also asked the FDA to file its affidavit by August 27 in response to Amazonâs plea challenging the action taken against the warehouseâs licence. Read Full Story Amazon Retail India moved the high court after the FDA acted against its warehouse in Bhiwandi in Thane district for allegedly sending expired food into the retail market instead of destroying it.
As an interim arrangement, the court said the company must prepare an inventory of all expired and perished items at the warehouse and hand them over to the concerned FDA officer. The court said the officer would then take steps, as required under the law, to dispose of the items. It also said Amazon would have to bear the cost of the exercise. According to Amazonâs plea, FDA officers visited the warehouse on June 24 and suspended its licence the next day without issuing an improvement notice.
The company then filed an appeal before the concerned authority. However, while that appeal was pending, the FDA issued a show-cause notice on July 1 and later cancelled the licence. On Friday, the high court had criticised the FDA and said that while implementing its policy vigorously, it was âtrying to kill a mosquito with a swordâ, and advised the agency to act in a systematic way. The FDA has also been in the news for a series of raids on food establishments, including some well-known eateries, since IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe took charge in May.
The case will now continue with the FDA expected to file its response by August 27. Ends With PTI inputs
The BriefWire