Special Correspondent
Pune: A street food vendor in Kondhwa has accused local police of unfairly targeting his business by shutting it down and destroying his food. The incident reportedly took place around 6:30 pm on Friday near a liquor store, where the vendor, Sunil Shivajinagar Munde, 39, had been running his stall for years.
Munde stated that officers ordered him to close his shop due to a gathering of people nearby. When he questioned the decision, one of the officers allegedly threw his food onto the ground and instructed him to report to the police station.
According to Munde, he was detained until 11 pm without any clear explanation, after which a case was filed against him. The next morning, he was warned against reopening his stall. The sudden action has left him struggling to support his family, including his children’s education and his elderly father.
“I run my shop legally from 9 am to 10:30 pm, and CCTV footage can confirm this. The crowd forms outside the wine shop, yet I am the one being penalized. If this continues, I might be left with no choice but to take extreme measures,” Munde expressed.
Seeking justice, he approached a senior police official, but by then, his landlord had already asked him to vacate the premises.
In response to the allegations, the Senior Inspector of Kondhwa Police Station justified the action, stating, “A large crowd had gathered outside the vendor’s stall. Despite repeated warnings, he failed to manage the situation. To avoid any potential law-and-order issues, strict measures were necessary.”
