Waste collection mafia: One booked for extorting money from Palam Vihar residents

The police on Wednesday booked a private waste collection vendor for allegedly extorting money from residents of Palam Vihar for door-to-door garbage collection. According to the police, they are trying to identify 20 such operators, who threaten residents to pay them instead of opting for the authorised waste collection agencies appointed by civic bodies

The police on Wednesday booked a private waste collection vendor for allegedly extorting money from residents of Palam Vihar for door-to-door garbage collection. According to the police, they are trying to identify 20 such operators, who threaten residents to pay them instead of opting for the authorised waste collection agencies appointed by civic bodies.

Waste collection mafia is mushrooming and residents are being extorted for waste collection, the police said. (Representative image)

The Municipal Corporation of Gururgam (MCG) also filed a complaint in this regard, following which the suspect, identified as Naveen Kumar, a resident of Carterpuri village in Sector 23A, a repeat offender, was booked.

Preet Pal Sangwan, the assistant commissioner of police (crime), said that Kumar was earlier arrested for brutally assaulting a resident after he was stopped from collecting garbage. “He was already lodged in Bhondsi jail and will be taken on production remand. His associates are working on his directions and are threatening residents to pay money to get garbage collected,” he said.

A case was registered under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 341 (wrongful restraint), and 384 (extortion) of the Indian Penal Code at Palam Vihar police station on Wednesday.

Sangwan said Kumar was not allowing garbage collection vehicles of the MCG to enter the area and that his gang threatened to kill the drivers. “These private vendors have spread their network in the area and are charging residents between ₹100 and ₹500 to get their garbage collected. Those who refuse to pay are assaulted and their lives threatened. We will start taking strict action against anyone indulging in these activities,” he said.

According to the police, the gangs hire vehicles to collect garbage and pay the drivers 20% of the total collection.

Hari Om Attri, the joint commissioner of MCG (HQ), said that they have also written to their authorised vendors to collect garbage door to door and to complain against anyone hindering their work. “We will reach out to the police if we receive any complaints as this nexus is growing in many areas and it is becoming difficult for the authorised vendors to operate in the area,” he said.