BMC clears 144 illegal stalls near Manish Market, Dawood Ibrahim’s old turf, under ‘Pedestrian first’ drive
The civic body removed unauthorised stalls from the Musafirkhana-Manish Market belt in South Mumbai, an area that has featured in reports about Dawood Ibrahim and the D-Company network. The BMC has described the latest action as a pedestrian-safety drive, with no official link established between the demolitions and underworld activity.
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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has removed 144 unauthorised stalls from the Manish Market, Musafirkhana and Sabu Siddik Road areas of South Mumbai under its ongoing ‘Pedestrian First’ campaign. The operation targeted encroachments obstructing footpaths in one of the city's busiest commercial zones, an area that has also featured in reporting on fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his D-Company network.
(BMC bulldozers roll into Manish Market as anti-encroachment drive intensifies under pedestrian-first campaign, Image: FPJ)
The civic action was conducted by the BMC's Maintenance and Encroachment Removal Department in A Ward. Officials dismantled temporary and permanent structures made of tarpaulin, bamboo, iron pipes and metal sheets. They also acted against a warehouse or godown occupying approximately 750 square feet.
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The operation was carried out under the orders of Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Prajakta Verma Lavangare and the guidance of Deputy Municipal Commissioner Chanda Jadhav. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide conceptualised the wider campaign, which aims to reclaim public spaces occupied by unauthorised structures across Mumbai.
While the latest drive focuses on pedestrian access, the area's historical association with Mumbai's underworld has also drawn attention to the wider context surrounding Manish Market and Musafirkhana.
144 stalls removed in two days
The first phase of the operation took place on October 14, when civic teams removed 92 unauthorised stalls and took action against a godown. Some accounts of the operation separately reported that around 75 temporary stalls and two godowns were cleared along the approximately 1.5-kilometre stretch between JJ Bridge and Rota Printing Press.
The drive continued on October 15, with another 52 unauthorised stalls removed from the same localities. The reported total for the two days reached 144 stalls.
The structures had occupied both sides of the footpaths and extended into an adjoining estate plot near a market gate. The encroachments restricted pedestrian movement in an area frequented by shoppers, traders and wholesale buyers.
Civic teams dismantled the structures, with some of the removed material reportedly crushed on site. Police personnel from the Mata Ramabai Ambedkar Marg police station, including several inspectors and around 30 personnel, were deployed to maintain order.
The action followed an inspection on October 13 by Deputy Municipal Commissioner Chanda Jadhav, A Ward Assistant Commissioner Ujwal Ingole, elected representatives and officials from the conservancy, licensing and encroachment departments.
Manish Market, Musafirkhana and the D-Company connection
The Musafirkhana-Manish Market belt is a longstanding commercial hub near Crawford Market, known for electronics, textiles and other wholesale trade. The area has also featured in accounts of Mumbai's underworld history, particularly those concerning Dawood Ibrahim and the D-Company network.
Manish Market has been associated in reporting with the Dossa family. Mustafa Dossa, a member of the family, was convicted in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings. His case was linked to activities surrounding the conspiracy, including facilitating meetings and logistical arrangements associated with Dawood Ibrahim's network.
A separate location often mentioned in accounts of Dawood Ibrahim's early life is Haji Ismail Haji Habib Musafirkhana in the Bhendi Bazaar area, near Pakmodia Street. Reports have identified the building as a place where he lived during the 1980s before leaving India. The property has been the subject of separate legal and redevelopment matters connected with the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust's Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment project.
That building and its redevelopment issues are distinct from the current BMC operation targeting unauthorised stalls and encroachments on public pathways.
Repeated encroachments remain a civic challenge
The Musafirkhana-Manish Market stretch has witnessed repeated anti-encroachment drives over the years. Reports from the late 2000s and early 2010s documented efforts by civic authorities and police to remove illegal stalls and address the occupation of footpaths.
The recurring problem shows the difficulties of enforcing municipal rules in densely populated wholesale markets, where limited space, heavy pedestrian traffic and commercial activity compete for the same streets and pathways.
The BMC has presented the latest demolitions as part of its ‘Pedestrian First’ campaign, which seeks to restore public spaces for their intended use. No official statement has linked the current action to Dawood Ibrahim, D-Company or any specific underworld investigation.