KOLKATA: Police drives against hawkers are rare. It is even rarer for police to slap cases against hawkers. But to file five cases in a span of three days against hawkers encroaching roads is unprecedented.Acting on a TOI expose on pavements and sections of roads around New Market being sold for lakhs, Kolkata Police conducted raids at Bertram Street, Jawaharlal Nehru Road and Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road to drive hawkers off the carriageway , and has even registered FIRs. The five cases were filed between Wednesday and Friday , but that has not been a deterrent. The situation on the ground remains unchanged, with hawkers continuing to encroach on roads.When TOI visited the raid zones on Wednesday , it was bu siness as usual, with no fear of police action. Hawkers even refused to acknowledge that anything had ever changed and said the five persons named in the FIR did not hawk in the belt. Since the FIR mentions only a name but no address, it is nearly impossible to trace the person later or take further action."If ever a case is slapped against a hawker, we tell him to pay a nominal fine and not to report for work for three to five days, by when the dust settles.Also, we ensure that those named in the FIR are salesmen who get a daily wage, and not dala owners," a hawker claimed, explaining the intricacies of how such run-ins with the law are "managed".FIRs 99 to 103 mention the names of Md Aoltaf (52), Amit Das (22), Md Kalim (27), Md Altaf (50) and Ayub Khan (27). They have been charged under Section 283 of the IPC that deals with danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation, and is punishable with a simple fine which may extend to only Rs 200.FIR No.100 names one Amit Das (22), a resident of Netaji Nagar in Chinsurah. "I have no clue I have been booked. I work for a garments shop, and have no link with the hawkers," he claimed as he walked out of a shop on Bertram Street near Napier & Co. The shopkeeper next door said Amit used to be a hawker, but does not hawk on pavements now.TOI could not locate Md Ka lim or Ayub Khan at the JL Nehru-Humayun Place crossing, even though they have been named in two separate FIRs."We do not know anyone by these names. Look here around you. All of us are doing roaring business here," claimed Md Sajid Khan, a hawker.If anything, the futility of the police action only underlined the difficulty of controlling hawkers that have the backing of politicians, union leaders, corporators and a section of the police. Police did seize some goods from a section of hawkers that resisted when they were asked to wind up their stalls. But as soon as the force left, the hawkers returned. Asraf Ali, joint secretary of Joint Traders Forum comprising over 4,500 shop-owners in the New Market and surrounding areas, feels such raids will continue to be farces unless there is a real intent to clear the roads and instructions are issued from the top to enforce rules.

Stay updated with all the Kolkata Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.