‘Lost our only income source': Street vendors with licences face evictions
NEW DELHI: Suresh, 33, had been selling chole kulche from a stall in South East Delhi's Harkesh Nagar for seven years a business he inherited from his father, who ran it for 23 years before him. But on May 27, his stall was among nearly 100 shops demolished by the MCD during an anti-encroachment drive.
'This was our only source of income. How will we survive now?' he asked, standing next to the rubble where his stall once stood.
His case is far from isolated. Over the past month, hundreds of street vendors across the city have faced eviction amid intensified anti-encroachment drives led by municipal and police officials. Many vendors allege harassment, confiscation of goods, and demolition of stalls even those operated by vendors with valid Certificates of Vending (CoVs) issued by municipal authorities.
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Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Facing cases, fake docs back in biz; booked again
Hyderabad: In a disturbing trend, fake medical professionals in Telangana, previously booked for running illegal clinics, are found restarting their 'businesses' — often within months of them being shut down by authorities. At least two such cases have come to light since Telangana Medical Council (TGMC) started cracking down on quacks. In both instances, cops filed fresh FIRs following complaints from TGMC. The first case was reported from Vanasthalipuram. V Sridhar Rao, who was first booked in Nov 2024 for impersonating a doctor and running an unlicensed polyclinic — Sri Venkateshwara Medical and General Stores — resumed his illegal practice earlier in 2025. According to TGMC officials who had raided the place and shut down the facility alleged that Rao restarted the clinic under a new name: Sri Venkateshwara Clinic. "This came to light during our inspection in April 2025. He was running the facility with multiple beds and even prescribing allopathic injections, IV-fluids, and other drugs to patients. These injections can be detrimental if administered unsupervised," said a TGMC member, who was part of the inspection team. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Based on the council's complaint, Vanasthalipuram police booked a second case against him under Section 318(4) and 319 (2) (cheating), Section 22 of the Telangana Medical Practitioners Registration (TMPR) Act (punishment for contravention), and Section 34,r/w 54 of the National Medical Commission (NMC) Act (ban to practise on unregistered medical practitioners). "We have filed a charge sheet in both cases and the cases are now before the Rangareddy court. We have also brought it to the notice of the judge that Rao is a repeat offender," said an official from the Vanasthalipuram police station. Similarly, in the second case TGMC found an unqualified practitioner, G Suresh, running a clinic — Laxmi Clinic — in Mancherial. "Despite being booked under multiple sections for cheating and forgery, Suresh returned to his practice within three months under a new name, Laxmi First Aid Centre," said a TGMC member who registered the complaint. He added: "Even after the second FIR in 2024, he continues to run a single bed facility and has even hired an unqualified nursing staff. " The second FIR against Suresh was filed under similar sections at the Mancherial town police station. 'Enforcement of Act a challenge' Incidentally, while as per the National Medical Commission (NMC) guidelines practising medicine without an MBBS degree — which amounts to quackery — is punishable by up to one year of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh, the state rule is much more lenient. As per the TGMPR Act, such offenders face only three months in jail and a fine of Rs 500. Dr K Mahesh Kumar, chairman of TGMC, says this loophole is exploited by many fake doctors, and admits to enforcement of the state Act still being a challenge. "It is the responsibility of the DMHO (district medical and health officer) and district registration authority (DRA) to crack down on quacks, seal clinics and conduct regular follow ups to check whether they are practising again," said Dr Kumar, adding, "We have been writing to them in this regard and sending FIR copies too. But no follow ups are being conducted. Few months ago, a DMHO sealed a quack's clinic in Medchal but after four months the clinic reopened. " Since TGMC's formation in 2024, the council has filed about 170 FIRs about quacks. Of these, charge sheets have been filed in 135 cases and trials are underway in 40. "But the problem is much deeper. Our estimate is there are around 55,000 quacks operating across Telangana, with nearly 75% concentrated in urban centres such as Hyderabad and its peripheries," said a council member Don't have authority: DMHO According to health officials, lack of coordination among enforcement bodies is a concern. A senior DMHO, on condition of anonymity, claimed their department only intervenes in serious cases like illegal abortions or medical negligence. "We are not the regulatory authority for quackery," said the official, claiming that the govt is, in fact, considering regularising quacks by issuing medical certificates. "There are about 3,000 to 4,000 such practitioners in every district. If the govt wants us to act, why wouldn't we?" he said. The official also pointed to the gaps in public healthcare infrastructure, stating how these quacks often refer patients to hospitals and take commissions, acting as unofficial intermediaries. "Many of them are well-established in their localities. They are seen as accessible healthcare providers, especially in underserved areas." QUOTE Unless a dedicated, autonomous body is created to deal with quackery and expedite legal proceedings, the situation will only worsen. We have only 19 members across the state for inspections, with most of them practising doctors themselves. Without systemic changes and strong political will, this menace will continue. — Dr K Mahesh Kumar, chairman, TGMC GFX: Cases where individuals were caught with fake MBBS certificates of real doctors -- In March this year, an individual at Ankura hospital, Madinaguda was found practising with forged medical registration documents by the medical council. The accused, identified as Kalapala Bharat Kumar, edited the original certificate of a doctor by altering his name, address and other credentials. An FIR was registered at Miyapur police station. The hospital dismissed him immediately. -- In Feb a govt doctor from Nizamabad medical college and TGMC filed two separate complaints against a man for allegedly running a clinic in Turkayamjal, Rangareddy using a forged MBBS degree of the govt doctor. Vanasthalipuram police filed an FIR against Chandrashekhar and initiated a probe -- In a surprise inspection on Dec 31 2024, TGMC caught a person named V Rambabu for illegally running a hospital (Vijaya Hospital), in Kothur, Rangareddy. As per the council, Rambabu had illegally obtained a certificate from a qualified doctor and submitted it as a proof of registration to the DMHO. A case was registered at Kothur police station All these FIRs were registered under Sections 318 (cheating) and 319 (cheating by impersonating), 338 (forging documents) of BNS and other relevant sections of NMC and TMPR Act.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
Three police officers suspended in Pathanamthitta
Three police officers in Pathanamthitta district have been suspended in connection with two separate incidents. Konni Deputy Superintendent of Police T.K. Rajappan and Circle Inspector and Station House Officer P. Sreejith were suspended for alleged negligence in handling a POCSO case involving a lawyer as the accused. The suspension, issued by the Home department, followed a report by the District Police Chief that confirmed delay in registering the case and failure to take timely follow-up action. The key accused in the case, identified as Naushad, a lawyer, is alleged to have sexually abused a 16-year-old girl with the help of a relative of the survivor. Despite the girl's father filing a complaint in August last year, the case was registered only after a delay of three-and-a-half months. Koipram Circle Inspector G. Suresh Kumar was suspended following allegations of custodial assault that allegedly led to the suicide of a 57-year-old Dalit man. K.M. Suresh, a resident of Varayannur in Pathanamthitta, was taken into custody on March 16 for allegedly smoking ganja. Six days after his release, Suresh was found dead hanging from a tree on a plantation, 25 km from his residence, under the Konni police station limits. The post-mortem examination revealed multiple injuries, including broken ribs and bruises, consistent with being beaten with a blunt object. The victim's family raised suspicions over custodial abuse and alleged foul play, leading to public protests. Following this, a high-level inquiry was instituted into the incident.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
Orchard labourer beaten to death ‘over accusations of mango theft' in Surat, 5 arrested
Over accusations of mango theft in Surat, a 48-year-old labourer from Sultanpur district in Uttar Pradesh was allegedly beaten to death by a mango orchard leaseholder and four others. Police arrested the five accused on Sunday. According to police, Suresh Verma, a resident of Akota village in Bardoli taluka of Surat district, and another labourer, Ajay Banwasi, were working in a mango orchard when they were allegedly tied to a tree and beaten on May 21 by Ashfak Rayan and the other accused. Banwasi 'managed to escape from the spot' that night. Rayan had rented the orchard from Rakesh Patel of Bardoli for the current mango season. He accused Verma and Banwashi of stealing mangoes worth Rs 50,000 and selling them to villagers. Speaking to The Indian Express, Bardoli Rural Police Inspector P N Jadeja said, 'We will produce them before the Bardoli court and seek police remand. Ashfak and others have confessed to beating Suresh Verma over mango theft allegations. One more victim, Ajay Banwasi, is still missing, and we are trying to locate him.' On the evening of the incident, Bardoli police said Verma's wife Bhanumati called Ashfak after failing to reach her husband by phone. Ashfak allegedly told her that Suresh had stolen mangoes worth Rs 50,000 and sold them to villagers, and allegedly demanded that she send her son, also named Suresh, with the money if she wanted her husband released. He 'allowed her to hear Suresh's cries' over the phone to convince her he was in his custody. Bhanumati then contacted her son, who also works at a mango orchard in Surat, and urged him to act. Police sources said the son traveled to Akota village and spoke with other labourers at the orchard. He then learned of the accusations against his father and Banwashi. Police said labourers claimed that Ashfak and four others disposed of Suresh's body in a car that same night. When the son later called Ashfak to ask about his father, he was allegedly told that Suresh had left for Sultanpur. On May 25, the son filed a missing person complaint with Bardoli Rural Police. During the investigation, police discovered that Kamrej Police had found an unidentified body in a canal at Shampura village on the same day. When Bardoli police and the son visited Kamrej police station, he identified the body from photographs as his father's. He also learned the body had already been cremated by Kamrej police. On May 31, the son lodged a formal complaint against Ashfak and the four others with Bardoli Police Station. Rayan, Vinod Agrawal, Mohammed Umar Munihar, Dashrath Maurya, and Yakub Abdul Gaffar, all natives of Sultanpur, were booked under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita: 103(1) (murder), 238(a) (causing disappearance of evidence or giving false information), 308(2) (extortion), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 189(2) (unlawful assembly) and 191(2) (rioting).
