Illegal vendors face crackdown in Nerul after ambulance driver’s murder

Nerul: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) and the police department have initiated a joint operation to inspect and confiscate goods from illegal vendors and unauthorised stalls on the footpaths of Nerul node. The action comes in wake of the gruesome murder of an ambulance driver by a group of hawkers outside the gate of DY Patil Hospital last week.

During the course of investigation, Nerul police found that the driver was killed in revenge for interfering in a dispute between two illegal vendors. “Illegal vending has become a serious issue in various parts of Nerul. The incident has brought the matter into light wherein hawkers engage in scuffle for space. As a precautionary measure it was decided to conduct a regular drive of nabbing illegal hawkers and keep the roads clear of encroachments,” said the Nerul senior police inspector Tanaji Bhagat .

The ongoing drive, which began on Wednesday, resulted in the confiscation of goods from over 30 unauthorised vendors by NMMC. The confiscated items will be temporarily stored at the Nerul ward office, and as per legal provisions, owners can reclaim them by paying a penalty of 20% of the total goods captured. Unclaimed goods will be disposed at the Koparkhairane dumping yard.

The drive will continue for the next 8 days, with the police department deploying 15 constables and 2 senior inspectors to assist the operation. Meanwhile authorities have started looking into the legality of stalls that have come up on various footpaths of the node. “ These stalls are placed on the footpath causing inconvenience to pedestrians,” said a resident of sector 19, Priyanka Pandit. Ward office has stated that they are looking into the license and taking appropriate action. “ The ward office is verifying the registration numbers on the stalls before taking appropriate action to either remove or legalise them,” said Mawade.