In yet another case, a fruit vendor in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district was caught on camera urinating in a carry bag near his cart.
As per the video by Saam TV, he performed this act near a fruit vending cart, which has sparked outrage among citizens.
In the video, one can see him urinating directly into a carry bag. After the video surfaced, the police have started searching for the vendor.
This is not a singular incident. In 2024, Thane Police arrested a fruit seller in Dombivli district for allegedly selling fruits without washing hands after urinating in a bag.
In Dombivli, angry locals had entered the market and vandalized it before the police could reach the spot and bring the situation under control.
Absense of public toilets
Although the act cannot be justified, the absence of public toilets in nearby areas has always been an issue for vendors and shop owners. In 2019, a vendor in Mumbai had moved court, claiming he had the right to use a housing society’s toilet. The court, although refusing to grant access without the society’s permission, acknowledged his concerns about the unavailability of nearby public toilets, which made him travel far, leaving his shop unattended.
Meanwhile, a recent BBC report highlighted issues faced by female vendors and small shopkeepers in small cities, who cited the unavailability of public toilets and how they drink less water to avoid the urge to urinate.
Additionally, in Ghaziabad, angry locals beat up two workers of a juice shop for allegedly mixing urine with juices served to their customers. In the video that went viral after the incident, locals were seen telling the media that a jar of urine was found at the juice shop.
