Mask marshals get a taste of Mumbai’s wrath

One of the two men, claiming to be BMC marshals, caught by traders in Lamington Road, on Thursday

In a series of reports, mid-day has been exposing the extortion racket of BMC's mask marshals, which on Thursday helped traders at Lamington Road nab two men, who were demanding fines of Rs 1,200. One of them was not in uniform. Shopkeepers took them to the police station, where officers later called their contractor and let them off with a warning.

AMID complaints of marshals harassing citizens, a mid-day correspondent enrolled with a contractor in December and got himself stationed as a marshal at Kalina Santacruz junction on the Western Express Highway. Working for six days, he saw marshals extorting the public and misbehaving with them.

The other man claiming to be a marshal caught at Lamington Road on Thursday

Following this paper's relentless reporting, Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Thursday announced that the marshals' uniform is being redesigned. Each ward would have its own details on the uniform along with a serial number. She said that citizens can use these details to complain against any errant marshal.

Speaking with mid-day, All India Electronics Association's President Mitesh Modi said, "On Thursday evening, two clean-up marshals of the BMC entered Chotani Estate and were demanding fine from people not wearing masks properly. One of the marshals was not in uniform and a shopkeeper complained about it to the association. Our shopkeepers were eating inside the shop when these marshals entered and started making videos. They asked for a fine. A crowd gathered in the shop because of this."

mid-day has been reporting about the BMC marshals' extortion and harassment since last year. Representation pic

Demanded Rs 1,200

Traders alleged that the marshals were asking for Rs 1,200 as fine. The official fine for not wearing a mask or wearing one improperly is Rs 200. "These marshals were taken to the DB Marg police station where officers asked the duo for the authority letter for collecting fines. The marshals could only show their ID card. Police also gave them time to ask their contractor to give the authority letter, but they didn't get it," Modi said.

2 came on Friday, too

Modi added that even on Friday two marshals came to the market and started penalising shopkeepers. "The shopkeepers started questioning the duo, and asked for their ID cards and documents for collecting fines. The marshals then fled from the market. We have also sent a complaint letter to the BMC and the DB Marg police to take action against these marshals."

Sub Inspector Shrinivas Sathe of DB Marg police station said, "On Thursday, two marshals were found without the BMC's authority letter and one of them was not in uniform. We also called their contractor to the police station and he showed us all the documents. We gave the marshals warning and released them."