Every evening when Muhammedashfaq Rawther (22) would come out of Andheri station alone, he would draw a blank. The unruly hawkers and autorickshaw drivers, instead of offering help to the visually-impaired youth, would instead snide at him.

"Once, they said, if you are visually impaired, go and sit at home," said Muhammedashfaq, as he was struggling to find his way. It was this experience, along with those of other visually impaired peers, that he decided to make the RTI application on hawkers when it was a part of his project. A student of the RTI certificate course, his application did not get any response.

In his application, the St Xavier's political science student who aspires to be an IAS officer asked the K-west (Andheri west) ward about the number of shops and hawkers on footpaths and roads. He also sought to know fines to be imposed, fines imposed, the process of seizing goods during hawker eviction drives, and the process of giving away the seized goods.

He did not get any information. The licence inspector instead said the fine sheet was enough for his project and asked him why he needs more information. "Hours after coming out of first appeal, I got a call saying pathar uthake marenge (we will hit you with stones)," said Muhammedashfaq. Because his father had already been warned about Muhammedashfaq's RTI application, the family managed to get a non-cognisable offence registered but that too only after the local MLA intervened.

"They were the first to wrap up my business, while the hawkers continue to do theirs," said Nagoormeeran, Muhammedashfaq's father who mostly helps his son cross roads. He used to put a table against the wall — unlike other hawkers who put it on the road — next to a legal shop that his uncle would run. "It was a kind of an extension of a legal shop; it was illegal because outside of the permitted space. But the day the RTI application was made, they shut it down. My uncle was told that I will be killed and he feared for me and my son. Ever since, I have been driving Uber and Ola cabs and looking for work," said Nagoormeeran.

The RTI application did not go down well with extended family members too. "My relatives questioned my mother why I was making it difficult for the poor. She would defend me saying he is educated and right," said Muhammedashfaq.

Because the Rawthers' livelihood too depended on hawking, it took Muhammedashfaq a lot of contemplating before taking the difficult decision of going against the illegal side of it.

"They should have regularised shops and provided employment opportunities to all the illegal hawkers. That is what I want to do after looking after my community of the visually impaired once I become an IAS officer. They never get anything due to them," he said.

RTI activist Bhaskar Prabhu said, "The information sought was of public interest. They have not levied any penalty (on illegal hawkers) and probably that is why are afraid of giving information. There is connivance and because of that information was leaked."

"When he came for appeal, we were happy that he is taking so much interest. Whatever cooperation is required, we will give it. There is no such thing that information was leaked at the corporation. Let the police investigate.

Whoever is responsible must be punished," said Parag Masurkar, assistant municipal commissioner of K-west ward.