Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has revealed how his department tracked down and filed an FIR against a person who allegedly claimed on a WhatsApp group that he knew the senior bureaucrat and could help people get their work done through him.
Speaking to NDTV Profit, Mundhe said the matter came to his attention after a friend forwarded a WhatsApp message that had been circulating in a social media group. Mundhe said the message claimed that the person knew him personally and could facilitate work through him.
"There was one social media group, something came to me from my friend," Mundhe said, recounting the incident. According to Mundhe, the message stated that the person knew Tukaram Mundhe and claimed to be his dentist and patient, while offering to help people get their work done. The message was initially forwarded to Mundhe through his family.
"I said, I don't know this person," Mundhe said. Instead of ignoring the claim, Mundhe said he immediately alerted the FDA's vigilance wing. Mundhe said the FDA has a dedicated vigilance wing to look into such matters, including allegations involving people who may misuse the name of its officers.
"So immediately I called my vigilance — there is a vigilance wing, by the way," he said.
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He asked the team to verify the identity of the person and establish whether he actually knew Mundhe. The investigation led officials to Pune, where the person was located.
"And the person was found to be in Pune," Mundhe said. He then instructed officials to go to Pune and verify the matter. According to Mundhe, FDA and police officials reached the person in the evening, around 7:30-8 pm. "He was caught," Mundhe said.
Mundhe said the department subsequently filed an FIR against the individual. "We filed FIR by the department," he said. He added that the person later apologised and claimed that he had made the statement in haste. "He then again gave, saying that, 'Sorry, I was doing something, something in the haste, I said something like this,'" Mundhe recounted.
The episode comes as Mundhe has gained considerable attention for his recent food safety enforcement drives across Maharashtra. However, the incident also highlights how his public profile can potentially be misused by individuals seeking to establish credibility or influence through his name.
Mundhe has repeatedly maintained that he does not consider himself a celebrity and that public servants should be accountable for the roles they hold. For him, the incident was not about personal publicity but about ensuring that his name was not misused to influence or mislead others.
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