Anti-hawker drive at Kurla station turns violent

An anti-hawker drive at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus on Wednesday turned bitter after a hawker was bashed up. One of the ticket-checkers claimed he, too, was beaten up.

The incident occurred around 12.30 pm, when a special squad of the commercial department of Central Railway started rounding up hawkers on platform 3.

A 20-year-old hawker, Mohammad Shahid, was apprehended in the air-conditioned coach of the stationary Godaan Express.

When railway officials demanded a fine, Shahid said he did not have any money. As he was being frisked by officials, he tried to flee.

Shahid complained that a group of ticket-checkers overpowered him and thrashed him badly, because of which he started bleeding.

Soon, a crowd gathered and started venting its ire against the officials. RK Nair, one of the ticket checkers, locked himself in the train's lavatory out of fear. But the public smashed the toilet door and dragged him out.

No CCTV camera was installed at the spot. Shahid was later taken to the Rajawadi hospital. Nair was treated at the Jagjivanram railway hospital in Byculla.

The GRP has recorded the statements of both Shahid and Nair.