Mumbai’s hawker crackdown shifts from penalties to FIRs, with hundreds of cases registered and vendors fearing long-term legal fallout
Representation pic/Nimesh Dave
Mumbai's crackdown on street vendors is no longer just about clearing pavements. With FIRs increasingly replacing fines and eviction notices, the city’s enforcement drive is now pushing thousands of informal workers into the criminal justice system, raising fears of lasting consequences for livelihoods, mobility and identity.
Data from North Mumbai zones alone shows hundreds of cases already registered under criminal provisions, even as hawker unions allege the action is being driven by political pressure and identity targeting, while the city’s long-pending hawker policy remains stuck in legal and administrative limbo.
2014
Year Street Vendors Act was passed
Crackdown snapshot
Zone XI enforcement
2025 and 2026 combined
9858 vendors fined
511 cases registered
2026 alone
2459 vendors fined
293 cases registered
Highest action
Borivli recorded 241 cases across the two years
Zone XII enforcement
2025 and 2026 combined
7496 vendors fined
133 cases registered
2026 alone
589 vendors fined
60 cases registered
Highest action
Samta Nagar and Dahisar among the most active stations
Legal provisions invoked
Section 285 BNS
. Danger or obstruction in public way
. Punishable by fine up to Rs 5000
Section 287 BNS
. Negligent handling of hazardous materials
. Up to 6 months imprisonment or fine
Nature
Cognizable and bailable offences
What the data shows
. Cases rising sharply in 2026
. More FIR-based enforcement compared to earlier drives
. Concentration
. North Mumbai zones seeing bulk of cases
. Shift observed
. From administrative fines to criminal registration
Residents’ concerns
. Footpath blockage
. Traffic congestion
. Safety risks near schools and hospitals
. “Blanket permissions in crowded areas are not acceptable,” said a residents’ group member.
Political dimension
. Hawkers form a large voter base
. Analysts note a cycle
. Protection before elections
. Crackdowns after elections
. No permanent solution
Hawker Union leader speaks
Jai Shankar Dayashankar Singh, General Secretary, Azad Hawkers Union
“If the municipal survey recognised nearly one lakh hawkers, how can they suddenly be labelled as Bangladeshi? Criminal cases will not just remove livelihoods, they will damage futures,” he said. He added the crackdown also disrupts agricultural supply chains dependent on street retail.
Voices from the vendors
Shantaram Shinde, 65, Borivli
“For over a year, our business has been shut. We are ready to follow rules, but we need space to earn.”
Pawan Tandel, Dahisar
“My father sold here for 40 years. If we are eligible, how do we survive without work?”
Parveen Kumar Pathak, Kandivli
“I’ve run this stall for over two decades. Don’t label genuine vendors without proof.”
Shyam Sundar Jha, Kandivli West
“For two years, we’ve had no income. Without work, how do we educate our children?”
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