Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): The Jabalpur municipal authorities allegedly crushed a handcart of a street vendor in middle of the road as part of the anti-encroachment drive. The officials ran the JCB machine on the poor vendor's cart-- the only source of his income, despite the locals' request to spare it.
The vendor would sell four samosas at only Rs 10 to feed his family.
The video of the incident is going viral on the social media, showing the poor street vendor's thela or hand cart being trampled on by the JCB machine amid a large crowd.
The cart belonged to the Sahu family and was managed by Aman Sahu, Ankit Sahu, and Abhiraj Sahu. On January 10, as the municipal task force targeted the Kotwali area for an anti-encroachment operation, the vendor, fearing the confiscation of their cart, took it within a nearby colony.
However, the situation took a distressing turn when the municipal task force tracked them down, forcefully brought the cart onto the road, and broke it using a JCB machine. The local residents requested them to not break it. Also, the family members pleaded for mercy, but their appeals were ignored.
Shockingly, the municipal authorities, in collaboration with the Jabalpur Municipal Corporation (JMC), responded by filing obstruction charges against the street vendor's family, resulting in the arrest of three family members.
Notably, the Kotwali area hosts several small-scale entrepreneurs who run such businesses to sustain their families. Local residents voiced their opposition during the crackdown, urging authorities to consider alternatives. However, municipal employees appeared unmoved.
Jabalpur Mayor Jagat Bahadur Singh Annu acknowledged the ongoing anti-encroachment measures but emphasized the need for a fair and just approach. He assured that discussions would be held with both the municipal task force and the affected parties to explore potential resolutions and compensation.
