Dr. P. Satheesh Kumar, Chennai’s Food Safety Officer, has been reassigned to the Tamil Nadu Drug Administration Department after being accused of causing a significant decline in watermelon sales after his claims of chemical adulteration in watermelons went viral. Farmers reported substantial losses, as the misinformation led to public hesitation in buying watermelons, causing the fruits to rot in the fields. In response to these grievances, the government appointed Bose, the Food Safety Officer from Thiruvallur, to oversee Chennai, aiming to restore confidence among vendors and the farming community.
The controversy arose from statements by Food Department officials claiming that artificial chemicals were being used in watermelons , posing a threat to consumer safety. This information severely impacted the sales of watermelons, and many farmers accused Satheesh Kumar of causing unnecessary panic. Recently, Chengalpattu District Farmers Welfare Association President Venkatesan highlighted the issue, emphasizing that watermelon farmers use only natural fertilizers, not chemicals, in their crops. The false information, according to Venkatesan, was harming the livelihood of farmers, with watermelons left to spoil due to a lack of buyers.
Venkatesan further challenged Satheesh Kumar to demonstrate how the chemical injection works, urging him to either provide proof or retract his statements. He claimed that the spread of misinformation had affected watermelon crops across 50,000 acres in Tamil Nadu and speculated that soft drink companies might be behind the false claims to promote their products.
#JUSTIN | வெடித்த தர்பூசணி சர்ச்சை – உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரி மீது நடவடிக்கை#Food #Foodsafety #Watermelon #Tamilnadu #Government #NewsTamil #NewsTamil24x7 pic.twitter.com/9dDURzFUH9
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He further noted that public hesitation to consume watermelons has caused a dramatic slump in sales. “Just a few weeks ago, a ton of watermelons fetched up to ₹14,000. Today, it’s barely going for ₹3,000—and even at that price, there are no takers,” he said.
In response to the fallout, fruit vendors, led by Arun Kumar of the Tamil Nadu Traders’ Association, staged a protest against the Food Safety Department officials. As a symbolic act of dissent, traders smashed watermelons in the streets to express their anger over the allegations and the resulting loss in livelihood.
Similarly, in a separate incident, Satheesh Kumar faced criticism for abruptly halting an inspection at Hotel Bilal on Mount Road, Anna Salai. The inspection was prompted by a food poisoning incident involving two college students who had eaten at the hotel. Reports suggested that the inspection was suddenly cut short after Satheesh Kumar received a phone call. The two students, who experienced severe vomiting and stomach pain after dining at the hotel on 30 March, were admitted to Government Royapettah Hospital.
Meanwhile, a related incident occurred at Hotel Bilal’s Triplicane branch, where an inspection on 2 April 2025, led to the restaurant’s closure. The inspection followed a food poisoning outbreak where at least 20 individuals fell ill after consuming beef biryani and beef rolls on 30 March. The affected customers were admitted to the communicable diseases hospital for treatment. As a result of formal complaints from the victims, the Triplicane police registered a case against the restaurant, which led to the sealing of the branch.
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