E-Paper
Woman slaps civic officer during anti-encroachment drive in Hadapsar
The incident occurred when the civic authorities, backed by a police contingent, arrived near Ramanand Complex to clear unauthorised roadside vendors who had blocked the road
A woman physically assaulted a civic officer during an anti-encroachment drive conducted by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) against roadside vendors in Hadapsar on Thursday.
The incident occurred when the civic authorities, backed by a police contingent, arrived near Ramanand Complex to clear unauthorised roadside vendors who had blocked the road. The drive was part of the ongoing efforts by PMC to reclaim public spaces and maintain the city’s civic infrastructure.
According to eyewitnesses, tensions escalated as the civic team began identifying and removing roadside vendors’ illegally constructed shops. The woman, identified as Snehal Vicki Hublekar, 30, of Hadapsar, confronted civic officer Pankaj Prakashrao Palakudtewar, 31, who was leading the operation. According to the police, a heated argument ensued between Hublekar and Palakudtewar over her illegal flower selling shop.
The woman refused to remove her illegal stall, threatened and abused the civic officer. When the civic staff, including Rahul Bapu and Subhash Rakhpasare, tried to remove the flower kiosk, she slapped them.
“Our goal is to ensure that public spaces are free from encroachments for the benefit of residents. While we understand that such actions may cause inconvenience to some, resorting to violence is not the solution. We urge citizens to cooperate with us and raise their concerns through appropriate channels,” a senior civic official stated.
The complainant lodged a complaint at Hadapsar Police station.
A case has been registered at Hadapsar police station under Sections 353, 323, 506 of the IPC.
