25 February,2026 07:43 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
Police sources said the case came to light after a video surfaced online. Pic/videograb
Mumbai Police have arrested two fruit sellers for allegedly applying rat poison on fruits before selling them to customers in Malad west, officials said on Wednesday.
The accused, Manoj Sangamlal Kesarwani (42) and Rahul Sadanlal Kesarwani (25), both residents of Rajanpada in Malad west, were arrested on February 25 and later produced before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Borivali.
Police sources said the case came to light after a video surfaced showing a fruit vendor applying a chemical substance called "Ratol" on fruits.
The video was circulated in a local political WhatsApp group.
Complainant Kunal Shivaji Salunkhe (39), a businessman and local political functionary, said the video was posted in a ward group on the evening of February 24. Acting on the information, he and others went to Akshardham Society, Panhalal Ghosh Marg, Rajanpada, Malad West, and allegedly found the two vendors applying the substance to fruits kept for sale.
When questioned, the vendors allegedly admitted applying the chemical but claimed it was only to prevent rats from eating fruits at night, and that it was used on spoiled fruits outside the fruit baskets.
However, the police said the substance recovered from the spot was Ratol, a rat-killing poison, and its application on edible items posed a serious threat to public health. A bottle of the chemical was seized from the location.
Based on the complaint, Malad Police registered an FIR under Sections 125, 274, 275, and 286 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which relate to acts endangering life and food adulteration.
The accused were later produced before the Borivali court along with a police custody remand report. The court remanded both in judicial custody, said an officer from Malad Police.
