BMC Employee Shivaji Koli terrorising hawkers, shopkeepers in Malad-Charkop-Kandivili belt, demanding huge haftas

MUMBAI: A BMC employee – and someone claiming to be associated with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner, one Shivaji Koli, has been terrorizing shopkeepers and hawkers in the Malad, Charkop and Kandivli belt in Mumbai’s north western suburbs for the last year, by stating that he allegedly knows the BMC commissioner (and administrator) Iqbal Singh Chahal personally and can get any work done (or undone) in a jiffy.

It is not known where the said individual Shivaji Koli resides but he is active in the north western suburbs of Mumbai from Malad to Borivali. Sources said he lives in the Marve area, but we could not confirm this.

His main activity includes collecting hafta from hawkers and protection money from local businessmen, under threat of punitive BMC action. ALSO READ: BMC staffer Shivaji Koli aka Shivaji BMC aka Nilesh Kamble arrested by Charkop police for molestation

According to sources, the said individual provides tips and prior information to hawkers in the area whenever the civic body’s anti-hawking squad raids the locality.  Hawkers have to pay a monthly or weekly hafta to Koli which ranges from Rs 100 to Rs 1000 per hawker and can go up to Rs 3000 for illegal shops and permanent structures.

Hospitals and medical clinics in the Ganesh Nagar and Charkop areas are also not spared and must pay Koli or face the BMC squad.

ALSO READ: Conman Shivaji Koli aka Nilesh Kamble dupes several job aspirants in Mumbai promising BMC jobs

Hawkers and shopkeepers who fall foul of BMC norms and rules must either pay Koli a monthly hafta, which is fixed by him or face the ire of Shivaji Koli who seems to be a local goonda of sorts.

Koli has openly boasted (in front of this reporter) that he can get any shop or structure demolished (or saved) as he is a friend of Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal. He also claims that his brother works for the Mumbai police and has other relatives working with Mumbai police and the BMC.

Iqbal Singh Chahal was not available for comment. Senior BMC officials when contacted were unwilling to speak on the matter and directed us to Chahal’s office. It is learnt that some BMC officials receive a decent cut from Koli who takes care of their interests.

Koli has openly boasted that he shares his hafta collection with the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner and other senior BMC officials.

ALSO READ: BMC employee, possibly fake, accused of sexual harassment by women hawkers

Repeated efforts to contact the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner in this regard were unsuccessful and Chahal has not responded to our message. We will update this story when he responds.

The said goon Koli has a good “working relationship” with certain officials of the Kandivli and Charkop police stations and shares his hafta booty with the lower rung of police staff, which means the lower rung at the PSI and head constable level work and support his illegal and nefarious activities in the area.

Hundreds of illegal hawkers and hawking stalls/carts are flourishing in the Charkop, Ekta Nagar, Ganesh Nagar belt under Koli’s protection at a price.

It remains to be seen if Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s attempt to clean up the BMC, manages to get rid of thugs like Koli, who have been thriving on extortion for years, without fear of the law.

Editor’s Note: The BMC commissioner responded to us saying he was travelling out of Mumbai and would revert to us on the matter.