Justice R Suresh Kumar, in an interim order, directed that the officers must only take along private cameras for such inspections.
The footage recorded must be used solely for prosecution purposes and not for publicity, the Court underscored.
The Court was hearing a petition filed by the Chennai Hotels Association claiming that the designated officer for Chennai under the Food Safety and Standards Act, was a “publicity freak,” determined to “tarnish” the reputation of most food joints in the city.
The petitioners argued that the designated officer had no authority to walk into commercial kitchens with television crews for inspection. They argued that while the officer can inspect any restaurant, he must do so “without calling the media in advance.”
Source: Barandbench
