Date: 12 .01.2013
Memorandum
To
Hon’ble Minister for Home Affairs
Government of India
Subject: Seeking urgent intervention to ensure immediate institution of murder charge against the Mumbai ACP Vasant Dhoble killing street vendor in Mumbai and the compensation of Rs. 25 lakh from the state government to the family of the deceased street vendor
Respected Sir
National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) and its Mumbai based affiliate Azad Hawkers’ Union strongly protest the police crackdown triggered death of a forty five year old fruit vendor Madan Jaiswal in Mumbai and demand immediate institution of murder charges against the infamous ACP of the Vakola division in Mumbai Vasant Dhoble, his immediate sacking and the compensation of Rs. 25 lakh from the state government to the family of the deceased.
We have learnt from reports of our affiliates in Mumbai that the death of fruit vendor is not a natural death as the police and the medical authorities tried to rumour, rather it was police crackdown triggered killing of a working poor who was earning his livelihood at the site for last twenty years.
We express our serious concern over the fact that though there is a National Policy for Urban Street Vendors and the Central Government is in the process of bringing in a central law to protect the livelihood and social security rights of street vendors as mandated by the Supreme Court of India, the Mumbai Police and Mumbai Municipal Corporation are adopting a very hostile approach towards street vendors and forcefully evicting them without any time bound plan for resettlement.
We also like to put it on the record that the Mumbai ACP, who along with scores of policemen raided street vendors with arms and lathis which led to tragic death of the street vendor, is a notorious police officer having severe class biases against the working poor. Last year in September also, he had raided street food vendors in Vakola area and had booked several vendors who had refused to gratify him financially.
We have learnt that there are many cases of corruption and crime pending against the ACP in Pune and Mumbai. He was suspended in 1989 for accepting bribe in Pune. In 1994, he was sentenced to seven years in prison and fined a lakh for his role in a custodial death. Then he was dismissed, but reinstated later in 1996. Recently he was shifted from Mumbai Police’s Special Services Branch after a controversial tenure.
We again seek your urgent intervention into the matter and request you to kindly ensure:
- Immediate institution of murder charge against the ACP Vasant Dhoble and his sacking
- Immediate compensation of Rs. 25 lakh from the state government to the family of the deceased vendor
Yours sincerely
Sd/
Arbind Singh
National Coordinator
NASVI
Copy to
- Union Home Secretary
- Maharashtra Chief Minister
- Maharashtra Home Minister
- DGP, Maharashtra
- Mumbai Police Commissioner
- Union Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
- National Human Rights Commission
- BMC Commissioner
