Kochi: The High Court has ordered strict adherence to food safety regulations, including mandatory recording of the date and time of preparation for food items such as shawarma. The directive has come from Justice Devan Ramachandran while disposing of a petition filed by the mother of Devananda, a Plus One student from Kasaragod, who died after eating shawarma.

The petitioner claimed that lapses in food safety inspections and enforcement were responsible for her daughter’s death. Acknowledging this, the court directed the authorities to strictly implement its previous orders on food safety compliance. It also appreciated the petitioner for highlighting the issue and awarded her Rs 25,000 in legal costs.

The state government informed the court that Food Safety Department inspections between April and October resulted in Rs 12.43 lakh in fines from establishments serving shawarma.

The High Court further instructed the Kasaragod Additional Sessions Court, which is handling the case, to consider the petitioner's compensation requirement within two months.

Devananda died on May 1, 2022, after eating shawarma from an eatery in Cheruvathur, Kasaragod.