The police have arrested a 20-year-old hawker for manhandling and attacking on-duty civic personnel and security guards attached to the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) who had gone to clear encroachments that had been obstructing pedestrian and vehicular movement on the station road in Bhayandar (west) on Sunday night.
The incident has once again turned the spotlight on the rising clout of the hawker mafia who are believed to be operating a full-fledged handcart syndicate in the twin-city. The accused, who has been identified as-Abdul Rehman Hasmi (20)- a resident of Bajrang Nagar in Bhayandar, has set up an illegal stall to sell footwear in the Bombay Market area. On their regular eviction drive, a team led by Rakesh Tribhuvan had gone to clear hawkers who encroached upon the approach roads and public walkaways in Bhayandar (west).
However, the accused allegedly started abusing the team before manhandling some members and attacking them with an iron rod. The civic personnel were fortunate to escape with minor injuries. While the accused had managed to flee the spot, a video of the incident had gone viral on various social media platforms. A team from the Bhayandar police station under the supervision of Senior Police Inspector- M. P. Patil managed to apprehend the accused within a few hours.
An offence under the relevant sections of the IPC for intentional insult and voluntarily causing hurt to any person in the discharge of his duty as such public servant, has been registered against the accused who has been remanded to custody. Further investigations were underway.
