India
Blinkit’s Bhiwandi Warehouse Licence Suspended Over Expired Food Products Worth ₹32.71 Lakh
By: News18 India
Published: 24 October 2026
Photo / Illustration: Haldwani Times News Desk
<p>The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food business licence of quick-commerce platform Blinkit’s Bhiwandi warehouse over alleged regulatory violations involving expired, damaged and rejected food products worth more than Rs 32.71 lakh.</p>
<p>An FIR has also been registered against key company personnel and vendors involved in scrap disposal.</p>
<p>The action against Blinkit, operated by M/s Blink Commerce Private Limited, followed an inspection conducted on October 21, during which officials found that the company could not provide end-to-end traceability or proof of destruction for approximately 18,405 food items classified as expired, damaged or rejected.</p>
<p>Citing a potential threat to public health, the FDA ordered the immediate cessation of licensed operations at the facility. Officials raised concerns that the unaccounted inventory, which was no longer fit for sale, could be diverted back into the supply chain and sold to consumers.</p>
<p>Following the suspension of the licence, the FDA registered an FIR at Bhiwandi Taluka Police Station against key Blinkit personnel, including a whole-time director and facility managers, along with multiple vendors associated with scrap disposal.</p>
<p>The accused have been booked under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including those relating to cheating and criminal conspiracy, as well as Section 59(i) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.</p>
<p>The allegations include a suspected conspiracy to resell expired food products for financial gain. The investigation is underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the unaccounted inventory and the alleged disposal-related irregularities.</p>
<p>The allegations remain subject to investigation, and the registration of an FIR does not establish the guilt of the accused.</p>
<p>The Maharashtra FDA suspended Blinkit's Bhiwandi warehouse licence following an inspection on October 21, where officials discovered expired, damaged, and rejected food products worth over ₹32.71 lakh without proper end-to-end traceability or proof of destruction.</p>
<p>Following the inspection, an FIR was registered at the Bhiwandi Taluka Police Station against key Blinkit personnel and scrap disposal vendors under several Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) provisions and Section 59(i) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.</p>
<p>Officials raised concerns that the unaccounted inventory of approximately 18,405 unfit food items posed a potential public health threat and could be illicitly diverted back into the supply chain to be sold to consumers for financial gain.</p>
