MUMBAI: Following the suspension of the licence of Sir JJ Mahanagar Blood Bank by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Maharashtra public health department has launched a probe into allegations of illegal diversion of blood stocks from the blood bank.State health dept probes illegal blood stock transfersA team comprising officials from the public health department, including the deputy director of health services (Thane circle), a Class-I pathologist and accounting officials, visited the Sir JJ Mahanagar Blood Bank on Saturday to begin the inquiry.“Unlike the FDA inquiry, which focused on issues related to the quality and storage of blood stock, this committee is examining complaints of illegal transfer of blood bags to other blood banks, whether financial transactions were involved and whether the transfers were carried out as per norms,” said Dr Suhas Mohnalkar, director of the State Blood Transfusion Council (SBTC), told Hindustan Times.He said the committee would scrutinise the blood bank’s accounts and records for the past three years and submit its findings to the director of health services for further action.Dr Mohnalkar said that the SBTC, which also oversees the blood bank, had detected serious irregularities in its functioning during an inspection conducted in December 2025 and January 2026.“The SBTC found that 55 units of blood collected through health camps had been illegally diverted to other parties. The public relations officer of Mahanagar Blood Bank, Ajay Bhise, was penalised ₹55,000, at the rate of ₹1,000 per blood bag,” he said.Meanwhile, the FDA said the suspension of the blood bank’s operations remains in force and that it is yet to receive a compliance report from the institution.A representative of the blood bank said they would soon submit the compliance report and hoped to resume distribution of the nearly 500 units of blood currently in their custody.While the FDA and SBTC have initiated action, health activists have questioned the absence of criminal proceedings against those allegedly involved.“Why are these officials who are clearly involved in forgery and cheating by diverting blood stocks illegally, not being pressed with criminal charges? Shouldn’t an FIR be filed with the police against persons who deprive poor people of critical blood stocks?” a health activist said.