1 week ago
Thane Station Hawkers Stored Goods in Restrooms; TMC Seizes Stock
Some unauthorized vendors near Thane station were using public restrooms to store their products.
They allegedly used duplicate keys to enter the facilities at night.
The Thane Municipal Corporation found the goods and seized items worth about ₹2 lakh.
The complaint was made by Sanjay Waghule.
Commuters said the situation made the station feel unsafe and crowded.
Shopkeepers said the vendors had an unfair advantage because they did not pay for storage or regular business costs.
Officials changed the locks and added guards.
They are investigating how the duplicate keys were obtained.
Thane Municipal Corporation seized hawker merchandise worth approximately ₹2 lakh from public restrooms at the SATIS bridge.
Unauthorized vendors allegedly used duplicate keys to store goods overnight in restrooms reserved for women and TMT staff.
The action followed a complaint by BJP leader and former corporator Sanjay Waghule to Assistant Commissioner Mahesh Jamdar.
TMC changed the restroom locks, deployed round-the-clock guards, and began an inquiry into how duplicate keys were obtained.
Commuters and shopkeepers criticized the alleged safety risks, obstruction, unfair competition, and weak enforcement around Thane station.
- Who
- Unauthorized hawkers, Thane Municipal Corporation officials, complainant Sanjay Waghule, Assistant Commissioner Mahesh Jamdar, commuters, and local shopkeepers.
- What
- Goods worth approximately ₹2 lakh were seized after hawkers allegedly used public restrooms as storage facilities.
- Where
- Public restrooms at the Station Area Traffic Improvement Scheme bridge outside Thane Railway Station.
- When
- The action was reported on August 20, 2026; officials said a similar incident occurred three years earlier.
- Why
- The complaint concerned unauthorized storage, alleged misuse of public facilities, obstruction by hawkers, safety concerns, and enforcement of restrictions on hawking near stations.
Critics and Affected Businesses
Civic Authorities
Enforcement and oversight
Critics and Affected Businesses
Sanjay Waghule, commuters, and shopkeepers criticized the alleged failure to prevent hawking and the misuse of public facilities, pointing to a similar incident three years earlier.
Civic Authorities
Thane Municipal Corporation officials said they acted immediately after receiving the complaint, seized the goods, changed the locks, and started an inquiry.
Impact of the hawking
Critics and Affected Businesses
Commuters described the situation as unsafe and overcrowded, while shopkeepers said unauthorized vendors gained an unfair advantage by using public facilities without paying comparable business costs.
Civic Authorities
Officials focused on stopping the unauthorized storage, protecting the facilities with guards, and determining how duplicate keys were obtained.
Key facts
- Seized goods
- Approximately ₹2 lakh worth of merchandise
- Location
- Restrooms at the SATIS bridge outside Thane Railway Station
- Facilities involved
- Restrooms reserved for women and TMT staff
- Reported access method
- Vendors allegedly obtained duplicate keys
- Complaint filed by
- Sanjay Waghule, BJP leader and former corporator
- Civic response
- Locks were changed, guards were deployed, and an inquiry was initiated
- Earlier incident
- A similar case was reported three years earlier on Platform No. 2
Quotes
Local shop owner
shopkeeper
“We took immediate action upon receiving the complaint and confiscated all illegally stored goods. We have changed the locks, deployed round‑the‑clock guards at the facility, and initiated an inquiry to determine how duplicate keys were obtained. Strict legal action will be taken against those responsible.”
freepressjournal.in
“We pay high rents, taxes, and licensing fees, while these illegal hawkers hijack public facilities for free storage right in front of our stores.”
freepressjournal.in
Sources
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