Mumbai: Clean-up marshal caught for extortion bid has a molestation case

Police say they do not consider ongoing cases before giving character certificates to marshal aspirants, and only convictions are counted; activist says those under investigation should also be flagged

The recent arrests of three clean-up marshals for attempting to extort Rs 50,000 from a 21-year-old college student in Andheri while posing as policemen sheds light on how miscreants could be appointed as clean-up marshals on a contractual basis due to shortcomings in the police clearance process. According to officials, one of the arrested people had been booked for molestation but this was not mentioned in his clearance certificate.

Brihanumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials and the agency concerned, Emkay Facilities Services Pvt Ltd, stated that the trio had been employed as they had submitted police clearance certificates (PCCs). When mid-day contacted the police, it was learnt that the certificate was issued to the person against whom the molestation case was registered as he had not been convicted.

BMC began redeploying clean-up marshals in April to enforce hygiene in public places. Representation pic

Last Thursday, the MIDC police arrested three persons—Dilshad Khan, Simranjit Singh and Rafique Chaudhari—after the student alleged they had tailed her auto and demanded money, accusing her of violating the law by smoking an e-cigarette in the vehicle. All three were released on bail the next day.

Prataprao Kadam, a senior police inspector of MIDC police station, said, “All three worked as clean-up marshals on a contractual basis through an agency with the BMC. Khan had been booked in a molestation case in 2022 at Santacruz police station and cops are probing if the accused had committed similar offences.”

Dilshad Khan, clean-up marshal who had been booked for molestation; Rafique Chaudhari, an accused; Simranjit Singh, an accused

He added that the person is considered innocent until proven guilty and cases may not be mentioned in PCCs if they are if they are under investigation or the individual is an undertrial. The BMC began deploying clean-up marshals in April 2024 to enforce hygiene and sanitation in public places, aiming to maintain a force of 30 marshals in each of Mumbai’s 24 wards. 

As complaints there had been complaints about extortion when clean-up marshals first patrolled the streets, the BMC chalked out new rules and regulations for the squad. 

To be appointed as a clean-up marshal, one should have passed Std X and the agency must obtain a verification certificate from the police to check if the candidate has a criminal record.

Kiran Dighavkar, deputy municipal commissioner and in-charge of the solid waste management department under whose watch clean-up marshals are appointed, said that the BMC immediately asked the agency concerned for clarification after Thursday’s incident came to light.

Agency’s version

Emkay Facilities Services Pvt Ltd informed the MIDC police that the trio had submitted the required documents and that they had permission to collect fines only related to cleaning and after the news appeared, they were immediately suspended. Santosh Gawade, CEO of Emkay Facilities Services said, “As per the BMC’s process, a clean-up marshal must have a Std X pass certificate and PCC. We appoint only those who submit these documents along with their Aadhaar and PAN cards. There wasn’t any case mentioned against the trio, according to their PCCs.”

A police officer said that only proven charges are mentioned in a PCC. During passport verification, cases against candidates being investigated by the police or under trial are mentioned and when affidavits are filed by electoral aspirants, police hand over a record of all major cases registered against them to the Election Commission, as per the required format. mid-day tried to contact Commissioner of Police Vivek Phansalkar; Satyanarayan Chaudhary, joint commissioner of police, law and order; and Akbar Pathan, deputy commissioner of police, but they did not respond to calls and messages.

Sachin Gunjal, DCP of Zone X, under which the extortion case was filed, said he would look into the matter and if cases had been registered against Khan and if so, why this wasn’t reflected in his PCC.

ActivistSpeak

“In police clearance certificates, even cases under investigation are mentioned as it sometimes takes eight to 10 years to close a case. The police also ask for a reference letter from housing societies. Why the case was not mentioned in the PCC of the clean-up marshal should be investigated,” said Vishwas Kamble, a Kurla-based activist.

The BMC had first appointed clean-up marshals in 2006 and then in July 2016. In both instances, they faced extortion complaints. The marshals were given the power to penalise people for spitting, littering, dumping waste/debris, open defecation, not picking up pets’ poop, etc and the fine ranged from Rs 100 to Rs 1,000. During the pandemic, the BMC has been given the right to act against those who did not use masks in public places till the end of 2022. 

2022
Year the accused was booked for molestation

Oct 17
Day trio was arrested

What happened last week?

Three clean-up marshals posing as cops were caught after they tried to extort R50,000 from a college student who was vaping in an autorickshaw while on her way back from college.

Clean-up marshals in the dock

This newspaper carried multiple reports on extortion cases involving clean-up marshals in 2022.

. In May 2021 the Mumbai Crime Branch arrested a clean-up marshal for allegedly posing as a policeman and extorting R5,000 from a man who was allegedly caught spitting in public in Mahim.

. In September 2019 clean-up marshals posing as cops extorted R3,500 from three male college students for taking pictures at Marine Drive after threatening to charge them for entering the sea.

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