Vaishali, Rupali FDA Licences Suspended: FC Road Restaurants Shut After Kitchens Found Next to Toilets
FDA Pune suspended the licences of Vaishali and Rupali on FC Road on 13 November. No dine-in, parcel or delivery until written permission is given.
Photo: Jatin.mittal06 / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pune, 15th November 2026: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has suspended the food business licences of Vaishali and Rupali, two of the best-known restaurants on Fergusson College (FC) Road. The orders were issued on Friday, 13 November, after inspectors found a dosa griddle next to a toilet and other hygiene failures.
Until the FDA gives written permission, neither restaurant can serve food, sell parcels or take home-delivery orders, according to reports in Sarkarnama and Pune Prime News.
Are Vaishali and Rupali open this weekend?
No. Both suspensions were in force from 13 November, so customers going to FC Road this Sunday should not expect dine-in, takeaway or delivery from either outlet.
If you see either restaurant listed on a food delivery app, the FDA order still applies. The suspension covers parcels and home delivery as well as dine-in.
The FDA has not announced a date for re-inspection. The restaurants can reopen only after they fix every deficiency, inspectors visit again and the FDA confirms in writing that food safety standards are met.
What the FDA found inside Vaishali
Vaishali scored 58 out of a possible 98 in the inspection, Sarkarnama reported. The findings it listed include:
- the dosa and uttapa tawa placed beside the men’s toilet
- a freezer holding raw ingredients placed beside the women’s toilet
- washed utensils kept on a table facing the toilets
- boiled potatoes and cooked rice left in an open corridor
- raw vegetables stored above ready-to-serve food
Storing raw food above cooked food is a basic cross-contamination risk, because juices and dirt from raw produce can drip onto food that will not be cooked again.
What the FDA found at Rupali
At Rupali, inspectors found an open kitchen exposed to dust, dirt and pests, standing water, poor waste management and weak cleaning. Raw, semi-processed and ready food was not properly covered, and some items had no label or expiry date.
Both restaurants also lacked paperwork the FDA expects from large kitchens. There were no food temperature records, no updated drinking water test report, no food safety management plan, no written standard operating procedures and no staff training records. Pest control and trained supervision were also found lacking.
Who ordered the action
The action was taken under the guidance of FDA Joint Commissioner Shrikant R. Karkale, and the order was issued by Assistant Commissioner Syed Imran Hashmi, Sarkarnama reported.
According to the same report, Vaishali had been inspected earlier in June 2026 and was given a notice to improve. The latest inspection was part of the FDA’s “Safe Food, Safe Maharashtra” campaign.
Neither report carried a response from the restaurants. We will add their response if they issue one.
Part of a wider FDA drive in Pune this month
This is the second big licence action in Pune in a week. On 10 November, the FDA suspended the licences of two Wanowrie sweet units and Pasteur Ice Cream Parlour in Camp, and destroyed 93 kg of sweets. Earlier, during Diwali, it seized sweets and suspended licences across the city.
FC Road matters for this drive because of the crowds it draws. Students from Fergusson College, Modern College and nearby hostels, office-goers from Deccan and Shivajinagar, and weekend visitors from across Pune eat there every day.
How to check a restaurant and report unsafe food
Every food business must show its FSSAI licence or registration number. You can check whether a licence is valid on the FSSAI’s FoSCoS portal by entering that number.
If you see unsafe food handling at any eatery in Pune, you can complain on the FSSAI Food Safety Connect app or website, or write to the FDA’s Pune office. Photos with the date, time and outlet name make a complaint easier to act on.
What is still not known
The FDA has not said how long the suspensions will last, or whether any food samples were sent for lab testing. It is also not clear whether a penalty will follow. We will update this story when the FDA reopens either restaurant or announces further action.
This article is for information. Food safety decisions on individual outlets rest with the FDA.
Frequently asked questions
Why were Vaishali and Rupali on FC Road shut?
The FDA suspended their food business licences on 13 November after an inspection found serious hygiene lapses, including a dosa tawa beside a toilet at Vaishali.
Can I order from Vaishali or Rupali on Swiggy or Zomato?
No. The suspension bars dine-in, parcels and home delivery until the FDA gives written permission to restart.
When will Vaishali and Rupali reopen?
No date has been announced. They must fix all deficiencies and pass a fresh FDA inspection first.
How do I complain about unhygienic food in Pune?
Use the FSSAI Food Safety Connect app or contact the FDA’s Pune office, with photos and the outlet’s name.
