Hotel owners, hawkers happy with permission to operate and occasional tip offs about anti-encroachment drives
City police personnel are allegedly forcing restaurants and hawkers to give them free food and money every month, sometimes even several times a month, found DNA. Our correspondent spoke to several such victims across the city and discovered that it was such a rampant practice that many establishment owners did not even see it as a form of harassment as, according to them, the cops were allowing them to continue their business in return. Some policemen take free food and money twice every week.
Termed as "hafta", the restaurant owners and hawkers were unwilling to speak about the exchange and refused to name the police personnel involved, fearing further harassment. "I run a food staff from 10 am to 6.30 pm six days a week. Every month, police personnel come to my stall and take Rs 150 for allowing me to operate in the area. Apart from that, sometimes they take packets of food without paying for them," said the owner of a food stall in Ambawadi. "It's a normal process and nothing is going away from me for giving them such little money and food once or twice a month if they are allowing me to continue my business in return." He did not want to be named in the report.
Similar experiences were share by vendors in Vastrapur, SG highway, Gujarat University vicinity and Rakhial, where policemen take money and free food from them every month. However, none of them see this as a problem. "It has not been an issue, they usually come to my stall and I give them some food and money," said the owner of a food stall in Vastrapur. "Giving them food once a month is not a big problem, because sometimes they also tip us off about the movement of the anti-encroachment teams of AMC."
This comes only a few days after four constables were suspended for thrashing two employees of a roadside eatery for refusing them food and money in the wee hours of January 31. The incident took place at Hotel Dwarkadheesh on SP Ring Road near Ambli.
CHECK ON HOTELS
DCP Zone 7, RJ Pargi: “Restaurant owners need to take a police permission from the Police Commissioner’s office to run their business. Among other things, the permit includes the time that the established is allowed to operate. At any point, police stations can send personnel to restaurants under their jurisdiction to check whether the establishment is following the rules and regulations. They can also penalize the owner if they are found flouting the rules. In case of hawkers, the police can detain their stalls, if they are creating a traffic congestion on roads and footpath, or to the public.”
CALL FOR HELP
They can call the 100 helpline number, or visit the nearest police station and lodge a complaint against the erring officer. They can also approach the ACP, DCP and even to the Police Commissioner regarding the matter.
GIVING IT BACK TO THE COPS
According to a restaurant owner, five to six policemen once started visiting his establishment three times a week for free food. He said it got too much for them and so they started giving the cops leftover food packed nicely in fresh boxes.
AREAS WHERE COPS TAKE THE HIGHEST
- Vastrapur
- Gujarat University
- S.G highway
- Bapunagar
- Teen Darjawa
- Rakhiyal
- Juhapura
- Sarkhej
- Civil hospital
- Khadia
- Nikol
- Naroda
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