Siliguri: Panic spread in Ambari after a dead lizard was allegedly found in the food served by a local sweet shop, prompting the Food Safety department to conduct a raid.
According to sources, on Sunday, a group of youths from the area had purchased food (puri-sabji) from a sweet shop located beside the Ambari petrol pump. After consuming part of the meal, they reportedly discovered a dead lizard in the vegetable curry. Shocked by the incident, they immediately approached the shopkeeper with the food packet.
Following the complaint, Food Safety department officials visited the shop on Tuesday. During the raid, they inspected the shop’s documents, checked the kitchen and collected food samples for testing. Kartik Sarkar, shop owner, has denied the allegations. He stated that the customers collected the food at around 8 am but returned with the packet around noon, claiming the lizard was found inside. Sarkar insisted that his establishment maintains strict hygiene standards and suggested the incident may have been staged to damage his reputation. “I have been running this shop for many years and nothing like this has ever happened. This seems to be a deliberate attempt to defame me,” he said. Mpost