Women hawkers in Mumbai North-West complain of sexual harassment by BMC employee Shivaji Koli

MUMBAI: Several women hawkers in the Malad West and Kandivili West areas of Jankalyan Nagar, Charkop, Bhoomi Park Road, Ekta Nagar and the Ganesh Nagar belt have alleged that a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), employee (or claiming to be associated with the BMC) one Shivaji Koli aka Shivaji BMC, aka Nitesh Sawant Jadhav aka Nitesh Sawant Kamble, has been harassing and extorting them as well as their male counterparts, terrorizing shopkeepers and hawkers in the Malad, Charkop and Kandivli belt in Mumbai’s north western suburbs for the last year, claiming and boasting that he allegedly knows senior BMC officials and can get any work done for a payment. ALSO READ: BMC staffer Shivaji Koli aka Shivaji BMC aka Nilesh Kamble arrested by Charkop police for molestation

The women hawkers from the area have made allegations of sexual harassment, molestation, extortion and similar crimes against women against Shivaji Koli, including using abusive and vulgar language, issuing threats, including threats to rape, etc., if the demands of the accused are not met, or payment (hafta) is not given.

Unfortunately, due to poverty, outstanding loans and debts and various family and social compulsions, the women are not ready to file a formal complaint with the cops.

A social worker from the area who tried to alert and inform the police about the wrongdoings of the said individual Shivaji Koli, was told to bring the women victims along as FIRs for sexual crimes like molestation, can only be registered by the victim women – according to the local police. ALSO READ: Conman Shivaji Koli aka Nilesh Kamble dupes several job aspirants in Mumbai promising BMC jobs

The concerned extortionist Shivaji Koli who uses different names and flaunts different BMC ID cards with different names, claims his brother is a Mumbai police official who is posted with the Charkop police station. When confronted by locals, he has boasted that nobody can arrest him as his brother in the Mumbai police helps him.

Efforts to contact zonal DCP Borivali Zone (Zone 11) in this matter were  futile. We are following up with the offices of the DCP and Addl CP (North Region) regarding Shivaji Koli.

According to our sources, on one or two occasions, in arguments with hawkers, he has mentioned his brother’s name (allegedly posted at Charkop police station) as Sandeep Kamble or Sandeep Jadhav. We are presently unable to verify if any person by such name is posted at Charkop police station but are following up with the concerned authorities.

ALSO READ: BMC’s Shivaji Koli terrorizing hawkers in Malad-Charkop-Kandivili belt, demanding huge haftas

Koli allegedly demands sexual favors from the poor women hawkers in lieu of the hafta or bribe, as told to this reporter by a few harassed women hawkers. If the female hawkers cannot pay the hafta, he asks them to compromise with him, demanding sexual favors.

He also loans money to hawkers and when the women hawkers are unable to pay back the money loaned, he demands sexual favors from them, our sources alleged.

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 and police action.

According to sources, the said individual provides tips and prior information to hawkers in the area whenever the civic body’s anti-hawking teams raid 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.

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.

The said goonda 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 Bhoomi Park Road, Billabong school road, Charkop, Ekta Nagar, Ganesh Nagar belt under Koli’s protection – at a price.

Senior BMC officials who spoke to this reporter said they are investigating the complaints and will revert to us after more details are available. A rough estimate suggests Koli collects nearly Rs 15 to 20 lakh per month, which is shared between various officials.

As per the latest update, the BMC officials are not able to locate any Shivaji Koli in their records and probably the extortionist is using various fake names and fake id cards.