Surat Geetha Restaurant Under Fire Over Food Safety

SURAT : A popular restaurant in Surat’s Puna Patiya area has come under scrutiny after customers allegedly found rotten potatoes and blackened, unwholesome oil being used in its kitchen, raising fresh questions over food safety standards in eateries across the city.

The controversy erupted at Geetha Restaurant, where a family visiting for a meal reportedly inspected the kitchen and was shocked by the condition of the ingredients. The customers confronted the restaurant management, leading to a commotion at the spot. They also recorded a video of the alleged violations, which later went viral on social media.

The incident has triggered public anger, especially after the recent death of a girl allegedly following consumption of hotel food in Surat. Following that incident, the Surat Municipal Corporation’s Food and Health Department had conducted raids at hotels, restaurants and roadside eateries and issued notices to several establishments.

Citizens are now questioning whether such enforcement drives are sustained or whether authorities act only after videos and complaints attract public attention.

“The issue is not limited to one restaurant. Regular inspections are necessary so that customers do not have to expose such violations through viral videos,” said a concerned citizen.

Following the viral video, officials from the SMC’s Limbayat Zone initiated action against the restaurant. The Health Officer stated that Geetha Restaurant had been fined ₹5,000, while around eight food samples were collected for further examination.

The samples will determine the nature of the alleged violations. However, the incident has already put the restaurant management under pressure over how spoiled ingredients could allegedly be present in a commercial kitchen serving customers.

The episode has also renewed demands for regular and surprise inspections of restaurants, kitchens and storage facilities instead of short-term crackdowns following food-safety incidents.