Cockroach Crashes Doctor’s Dinner at Mumbai’s Top Hotel, He Tags FDA Chief: ‘In Tukaram Mundhe’s Territory’

Mumbai: A Saturday night dinner at one of Mumbai’s luxury hotels took an unexpected turn after cardiologist Dr Ashok Seth spotted a baby cockroach on his table at Romano’s, the Italian restaurant at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar.

Seth shared a video of the insect on X and jokingly named it “Roachie”. He said the cockroach appeared unwilling to leave the table despite attempts by the diners to move it and that the incident eventually ruined their appetite.

‘Roachie’ turns up at dinner

In his social media post, Seth wrote that the baby cockroach had appeared at their table and joked that it might have been looking for “Pizza and not Pasta”.

The cardiologist said the unexpected guest “really took our appetite away” and that the group eventually left the restaurant. The video accompanying his post showed the insect moving around the dining table near the food.

The post subsequently attracted attention online, with users discussing restaurant hygiene and pest-control standards.

Why did Ashok Seth tag Tukaram Mundhe?

Seth tagged Tukaram Mundhe, Commissioner of the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

His reference to being in “Mr Mundhe’s territory” was linked to the Maharashtra FDA commissioner’s ongoing food-safety enforcement campaign across the state. There is, however, no confirmed regulatory finding against JW Marriott or Romano’s arising from this particular incident at the time of the latest reports.

Mundhe took charge as Maharashtra FDA commissioner in May 2026 and has since overseen an extensive inspection and enforcement drive involving restaurants, hotels, food manufacturers and other food businesses. Recent reports said the department conducted more than 12,000 inspections between June and August, issuing improvement notices and suspending licences in cases where violations were found.

Hotel apologises over the incident

The social media post also drew a response from Marriott Bonvoy Assist, which apologised to Seth and said the matter would be investigated.

The response does not establish whether the reported cockroach was the result of a wider hygiene problem at the restaurant. Any regulatory violation would need to be determined through an inspection or investigation by the relevant authorities.

Who is Dr Ashok Seth?

Dr Ashok Seth is a prominent interventional cardiologist and is associated with Fortis Healthcare. He has held senior positions within the Fortis group and has received major national honours, including the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.

His social media post about the restaurant incident quickly attracted attention because of his profile as well as the involvement of Maharashtra’s food-safety regulator.

What is Romano’s at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar?

Romano’s is the Italian restaurant located inside JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar in Andheri East. The restaurant is part of the hotel's dining facilities and serves Italian cuisine.

The reported incident occurred directly at a customer's dining table. While a single reported sighting does not by itself establish a broader food-safety violation, pest control is an important component of hygiene standards in food-service establishments.

Tukaram Mundhe’s food-safety crackdown

The incident comes as Maharashtra's FDA has been conducting heightened inspections of food businesses under Mundhe's leadership.

The enforcement campaign has included restaurants and major food chains, with authorities taking action in cases where inspections identified alleged food-safety or hygiene deficiencies. Reuters reported in August that the campaign had included thousands of raids and inspections across Mumbai and Maharashtra.

That wider backdrop explains why Seth's light-hearted social media complaint specifically tagged the state FDA chief.

For now, the available information establishes the reported cockroach sighting, Seth's complaint and the hotel's response. It does not establish that Romano’s violated food-safety rules or that the incident reflects a wider hygiene issue at the hotel.