A dinner at Mumbai took an unexpected turn after prominent cardiologist and Fortis Healthcare chairman Dr Ashok Seth spotted a baby cockroach running across his table at the hotel’s Romano restaurant.
Dr Seth was dining at the five-star property in Sahar, Mumbai, on Saturday evening when he noticed the insect near the dishes. He shared the incident on X on Sunday, sarcastically referring to the unexpected guest as “Roachie”.
“Look who came for dinner unexpectedly. ‘Roachie’ – a baby cockroach was on our table wanting to share our dinner at the Romano restaurant at JW Marriott, Sahar, Mumbai, Saturday night!!!” he posted.
“Despite our persuasion, ‘Roachie’ refused to leave. Maybe wanted pizza and not pasta,” he added.
The incident, however, was more than an amusing interruption for the diners. Dr Seth said the sight affected their appetite and they eventually left without finishing their meal.
“But he (the cockroach) really took our appetite away. We left.”
The post also drew a response from Marriott Bonvoy Assist, which said: “Hello Dr. Ashok, thank you for letting us know. We take this matter seriously. We would like to look into it for you. Could you please DM us your first, last name, and your confirmation number?”
Dr Seth then tagged Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration Commissioner , adding another pointed reference to the state’s ongoing food-safety enforcement drive.
“Thankfully we are in Mr Mundhe’s territory and he most likely will look into this also,” he wrote.
He tagged Mundhe, and JW Marriott in his post.
The incident comes against the backdrop of an intensified food-safety enforcement drive in Maharashtra under FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. The FDA conducted more than 12,000 inspections between June and August 2026, issued over 5,000 improvement notices and suspended 603 licences, according to data reported by Mid-day.
The campaign has included inspections of restaurants, hotels, food businesses and other establishments, with authorities flagging issues involving hygiene, food storage and pest control.
JW Marriott had not publicly responded to Dr Seth’s post at the time of publication. The incident itself does not establish the cause of the cockroach’s presence or indicate whether any regulatory violation occurred at the restaurant.
