Mumbai: The hawker menace in Ghatkopar has reached alarming levels. Recently, a group of hawkers assaulted a shopkeeper, Harsh Dhruv (29), when he objected to their rude behaviour against one of his customers. Dhruv told FPJ that one of the hawker does business just outside his shop Chirag Children’s Wear on MG Road, Ghatkopar (W).
“The hawker threw paper at one of my customers. When I objected to his conduct, a group of hawkers assaulted me badly and roughed up 62-year-old father, Bharatbhai. I filed an FIR at Ghatkopar police station and four of them have been booked,” he added. The accused have been identified as Abdul Kadir, Rashid Ali Shaikh, Fahim Khan and Zuber Khan. The police are on the look out for other accused.
For the past several years, the roads of Ghatkopar, especially on the west side, have been taken over by hawkers who sell garments, mobile accessories and other goods.
“They do business right on the road blocking vehicular traffic. But neither the BMC nor the police take any action against them because they are given hefty haftas,” a local citizen Girish Jain observed.
Even though there is a Bombay high court order banning hawking within 150 mtrs of railway station, hundreds of hawkers do business with impunity. “It is hawker raj in Ghatkopar. Now shopkeepers are beaten up if they raise their voice,” Dewang Kumar, another local resident, noted.
Station Road, M.G. Road, Maneklal Estate Road etc are now controlled by hawkers with underworld connections. The local unit of the BJP led by ex-corporator Pravin Chheda have taken up this serious issue with the help of their city leaders.
