- A content creator found a live rat in pani puri mixture at a roadside stall
- The vendor removed the rat, which fled into a nearby drain
- The creator made the vendor discard the contaminated mixture
A video recently captured a horrifying moment at a roadside pani puri stall in Amritsar where a content creator and his friend discovered a live rat inside the golgappa mixture container. The creator, identified by the Instagram handle karan_dhanju26, was enjoying the snack when he noticed movement in the large bowl used for the spiced water and masala. The clip shows the vendor attempting to remove the rat from the masala-covered mixture. The rodent eventually jumped out and fled into a nearby drain, leaving the duo shocked.
"Rat in Pani Puri," the caption of the video read. The video didn't clarify if the mouse jumped into the mixture at the pani puri spot or was already inside. The vlogger said that he made the vendor discard the contaminated mixture.
Watch the video here:
Social Media Reaction
The video garnered close to 300,000 views within hours, sparking intense debate. While many users expressed disgust and questioned street food hygiene standards, some suggested the video might be "scripted" or even AI-generated.
Some viewers noted that the vendor's cart appeared clean, leading to speculation that the mouse might have jumped in just moments before being spotted.
One user wrote, "The rest of the setup looked really clean. So what happened there? Did it enter after the cart was already on place, or was it from long before?"
Another commented, 'The rat must have entered just then because how was it even alive for that long. Anyways, it's a good thing that you people asked the vendor to throw the water away."
"Indian street food hygiene in a nutshell," a third person said. A fourth user joked, "Wow, Ratatouille."
"Please say it's AI," added a fifth.
This incident has reignited concerns regarding FSSAI food safety compliance for street vendors.
Contamination incidents involving rodents and pests in food establishments have frequently surfaced on social media. A pani puri stall in Virar, Maharashtra, caused panic in December 2025 when a live green snake was spotted emerging from behind items on the vendor's cart. In early 2025, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation sealed Divan Pani Puri Centre after a customer recorded insects crawling inside the food.
