Mumbai: Hawker assaults RPF officer who asked him to leave his spot

The accused was operating his business of packaged drinking water from the car shed at LTT

A hawker brutally assaulted an RPF constable at the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) when the latter asked him to leave the car shed from where he was operating his business of packaged drinking water.

The accused Arvinda Yerunkar

Action on hawkers
After the Elphinstone station stampede, the railway authorities had directed the RPF to take action against the hawkers illegally running their businesses at stations. As part of the operation, the constable was patrolling at LTT, when the incident took place. Sources said around 11.30 am on Wednesday, RPF constable Vikas Patil spotted a man in the car shed.

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The person, identified as Arvinda Yerunkar, 31, operates his business from the shed along with three other boys. He used to stock up the water bottles in the yard and later sell them to commuters on the platform.

Patil immediately went up to him and asked him to leave the place, as it was illegal to run the business there. However, Yerunkar refused to leave and said that he would do as he wishes. He started abusing Patil and even threatened him with dire consequences.

In his statement to the Tilak Nagar police, Patil said, "While we were having a heated argument over the issue, suddenly Yerunkar took out a plier from a plastic bag and stabbed me."

RPF constable Vikas Patil

Not scared of cops
A source said, "As Yerunkar has been running his business at LTT since a very long time, he is not scared of the police. During the argument he even called up the railway control number and complained that an RPF constable was not allowing him to run his business. He even mentioned that the cop thrashed his wife and tore her clothes."

Also read: Mumbai: BMC wakes up to action against hawkers at night

On hearing this, Patil immediately called his seniors and two cops were sent to the spot. They arrested Yerunkar and seized the plier and water bottles from him.

Speaking to mid-day, an officer from Tilak Nagar police station said, "After Patil filed a complaint, we registered an FIR against Yerunkar under sections 353, 332, 504 and 506 of IPC. We have arrested him. Further investigation into the case is on."

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