A member of a civic clean-up squad on a drive in Bhandup was bitten on his arm by a drunk shopkeeper on Saturday.
The squad of five members was checking the Sonapur area, in ‘S’ Ward, on instructions from assistant municipal commissioner Prashant Gaikwad.
The victim has been identified as Akkas Malik, 32.
According to a senior official in the Solid Waste Department, the area is crowded with commercial units like scrap dealers and the marshals hauled up some of them for littering the place.
At several places, the unwanted scrap is dumped in drains and the marshals were sent to check this practice, the official said.
Malik said, “We warned the dealers to clear their materials, but when they ignored our request we decided to fine them and started to write out the receipts.”
Then many dealers gathered around them and the marshals called the police. However, the cops asked the marshals to bring those who do not pay the fine to the police station.
One of the men got into an argument with the marshals. “When I tried to start the vehicle and asked him to accompany us to the police station, he snatched the keys of the vehicle and bit me on my right arm,” said Malik. The man has been identified as Mohsin Yusuf Khan. He was apparently drunk.
Boparais Martial Security Services, which has been engaged by the BMC to undertake the clean-up in ‘S’ Ward, has lodged a complaint with the Bhandup police. The Malik is employed by the agency.
Asked about the resistance from citizens to the action by the marshals and allegations of harassment, Asif Jogle, the agency’s supervisor, said: “Our men are trained to keep cool and we have the support of the police. Those who are fined usually abuse us. They will make accusations but they have no proof.”
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