Mumbai: 2 Booked For Allegedly Assaulting BMC Staff During Anti-Encroachment Drive At Santacruz Station

Mumbai: An FIR has been filed against illegal hawkers for allegedly assaulting on-duty BMC staff during an anti-encroachment drive at Santacruz station. According to a copy of the FIR, two persons have been booked in the case, identified as Mohammed Ikram Sajid Merchant and Shoiab Mehboob Sayyed.

A copy of an FIR was shared by BJP leader Hetal Gala on his official handle on X (Formerly Twitter), adding that such unlawful behaviour will not be tolerated. "Our BMC staff work tirelessly to maintain order and public safety, and any attack on them is an attack on the system itself, he added.

The update of an FIR came just a day after Gala highlighted the incident on X, where he wrote, "Illegal hawkers attacking MCGM officers near Santacruz West railway station is absolutely unacceptable" These incidents come at a time when the BMC has intensified its crackdown on illegal hawking across Mumbai. However, this is not the first time clashes between enforcement teams and local vendors have occurred.

Earlier in March, the Samta Nagar police arrested five individuals for allegedly attacking a BMC team during an anti-encroachment drive in Kandivali East. When the BMC team, comprising 14 officers and 22 employees, arrived at Lokhandwala Circle in the Lokhandwala area to conduct an anti-encroachment drive, several hawkers and residents gathered at the spot.

During that time, around 10 to 12 individuals from the crowd allegedly began arguing aggressively with the BMC officers and employees, with an eyewitness stating that an officer was assaulted with a bamboo stick.

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