A shocking food safety incident unfolded inMumbai’s Malad Westafter a video surfaced online showing fruit vendors allegedly applyingrat poison (Ratol)to fruits displayed for sale. The footage, which quickly went viral on social media, depicted the vendors holding a tube of Ratol — a toxic substance containingyellow phosphorus— and smearing it on bananas and other fruits. Concerned local residents alerted the police, prompting a swift response from theMalad Police Station.
Authorities arrested the accused vendors, identified asManoj Sangamlal Kesarwani (42)andRahul Sadanlal Kesarwani (25), both residents of Rajanpada in Malad West. During preliminary questioning, they reportedly claimed that they used the poisonous substance to keep rats from eating the fruits at night. However, health officials warned that consuming such treated fruits could lead to nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, organ damage and even death in severe cases, given the highly toxic nature of the chemical.
Following the arrests, the vendors were produced before theAdditional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Borivali, and the stall was sealed. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered under relevant sections of theBharatiya Nyaya Sanhitarelating to acts endangering life and food adulteration. Meanwhile, theBrihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)has initiated inspections of nearby markets to check for similar unsafe practices, as the incident has sparked widespread public outrage and raised serious questions about food hygiene and regulatory oversight in open marketplaces.
