A cardiologist’s complaint about a baby cockroach found on a dining table at Romano restaurant in JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar has drawn attention to food-safety oversight in the city, with the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration and the hotel tagged in a public social-media post.
Dr Ashok Seth said the insect was found on his table during dinner on Saturday night. According to his post, the diners tried to persuade it to leave but eventually left the restaurant without finishing their meal after the sight affected their appetite. Seth jokingly named the insect “Roachie” and tagged Maharashtra FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and JW Marriott.
“Look who came for dinner unexpectedly. ‘Roachie’ – a baby cockroach was on our table wanting to share our dinner,” Seth wrote in the post, referring to the restaurant at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar. He added that the diners left after the insect would not move from the table.
The post prompted a response from Marriott Bonvoy Assist, which said the company took the matter seriously and wanted to investigate it. The account asked Seth to share his first and last name and reservation confirmation number through a direct message. The response did not state whether an inspection had been conducted or whether any action had been taken at the restaurant.
The reported incident comes during an intensified food-safety enforcement drive by Maharashtra’s FDA. The department has carried out raids and taken action against food establishments over alleged hygiene and food-safety violations, including cases involving pest infestations, according to the report. The FDA commissioner’s name has also appeared in recent social-media complaints about alleged food-hygiene lapses.
In another recent case cited in the report, actor Shweta Tiwari tagged the FDA chief after claiming that she found a cockroach following a cold-drink delivery. That complaint, like Seth’s post, was raised publicly on social media and does not by itself establish the circumstances behind the reported hygiene lapse.
The Mumbai complaint also follows food-safety notices issued by FSSAI to two five-star hotels in Delhi’s Aerocity, including a JW Marriott property. At the Delhi JW Marriott, inspectors recorded 59 deficiencies, including pest activity and improper food storage, according to the report. The Delhi findings concern a separate property and inspection, and do not establish that the Mumbai restaurant had the same deficiencies.
For diners, the episode highlights the difference between a public complaint and a confirmed regulatory finding. The available account records the diner’s allegation, the hotel’s response and the broader enforcement context, but does not include a statement from the Mumbai restaurant, a Maharashtra FDA inspection report or a finding by FSSAI regarding Romano restaurant.
The next formal step would be any response or inspection by the Maharashtra FDA, along with the hotel’s review of the complaint. No regulatory action against JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar was reported in the supplied account.
