Agartala, 9th October 2026 : A district Food Safety Officer was allegedly assaulted by a hotel owner and his wife at Mahamaya Hotel and Restaurant in Kailashahar after he sought to verify the establishment’s food safety licence and objected to the unhygienic condition of food displayed for sale. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has lodged an FIR against the accused, Surajit Pal, at Kailashahar police station.
According to the officer, the incident took place around 1 pm during a routine inspection of the hotel. He said he asked Pal to produce his food safety licence, but the latter claimed that the document had been left at home. Suspecting that the licence might have expired, the officer reportedly asked him to submit it at the office the following day for verification.
During the inspection, the officer also noticed a roadside stall belonging to the hotel owner, where chaat, samosas and puris were sold. He alleged that the food was kept in unhygienic conditions and that the chaat was emitting a foul smell. He asked Pal to discard the suspected spoiled food, citing the potential risk to public health.
The officer claimed that Pal became agitated, used abusive language and threatened him when he sought to proceed with the inspection. He said he asked his driver, Prantosh Malakar, to bring the relevant file so that a formal notice could be issued, directing the hotel owner to produce the licence within a stipulated period.
Before the notice could be issued, Pal allegedly attacked the officer. When the driver intervened, Pal’s wife reportedly joined the assault, striking the officer with a slipper. The officer further alleged that Pal broke free from the driver’s restraint, punched and kicked him repeatedly, including in the chest and other parts of the body, and pulled at his shirt and gold chain, which subsequently went missing.
The officer said he managed to escape and reached RGM Hospital for medical attention, from where he contacted the police. He added that he had informed the concerned department about the incident and that the department had initiated legal action by filing an FIR.
Further details regarding the police investigation and the accused’s response were not immediately available.
