A division bench of Justices Prathiba Singh and Madhu Jain was hearing an application filed by Bhushan, who is 100% visually impaired, seeking CoV, a certificate issued by the town vending committee (TVC) to street vendors that entitles them to space and facilities for vending under municipal laws.Visually impaired Bharat Bhushan (50) has been knocking on the Delhi High Court’s doors since 2018 for a simple Certificate of Vending (CoV) from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) that would legitimize his fruit stall at the Sultanpuri bus stand in Northwest Rohini.However despite repeated court interventions, Bhushan still hasn’t received his CoV. Without it, he cannot get an electricity connection, and his dream of a permanent stall remains out of reach, leaving him to run a mobile vend.Against this backdrop, HC has summoned MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar for making the fruit vendor run from “pillar to post” for eight years by not issuing him a CoV. Taking strong exception to MCD’s “shocking state of affairs”, the court observed “MCD appears to be working in the most dysfunctional manner.”A division bench of Justices Prathiba Singh and Madhu Jain was hearing an application filed by Bhushan, who is 100% visually impaired, seeking CoV, a certificate issued by the town vending committee (TVC) to street vendors that entitles them to space and facilities for vending under municipal laws.TVC, which comprises representatives of street vendors, works alongside MCD to regulate street vending in the Capital. Meanwhile, the court had earlier directed MCD to consider Bhushan’s case for issuance of the CoV. In April 2023, the court ordered a survey of vendors to be completed within a maximum of 24 weeks. However, the survey remains incomplete to date, owing to which no CoV can be issued to any vendor.Noting that the incomplete survey has left persons like Bhushan to “continue to be harassed”, the bench, in an order dated March 12 made public on March 17, said it was “shocking” how the MCD “continues to deal with this issue in a callous manner.”“There are no timelines given by the MCD as to when the survey is to be completed. The MCD appears to be working in the most dysfunctional manner,” the court said, adding in its March 12 order: “Under these circumstances, the Court has no option but to direct the Commissioner, MCD to remain physically present in the Court at 10:30 am on the next date of hearing.” The matter will next be heard on April 9.Story continues below this adHC also directed Bhushan’s stall “shall not be hampered or obstructed in any manner by the MCD or the Delhi Police”, and ordered MCD to pay him Rs 20,000 within a week towards expenses he has had to repeatedly bear. This is in addition to Rs 10,000 the court had earlier directed MCD to pay.In January 2023, the TVC agreed to allow Bhushan to vend at the site without a CoV, on the condition that he would not erect any permanent structure, cause encroachment of the Right of Way (RoW), or obstruct pedestrian and traffic movement.In April 2023, the HC directed the MCD to convene a meeting of the TVC to initiate a survey in accordance with its statutory obligations under Section 3(1) of the Street Vendors Act, within eight weeks and no later than 24 weeks, to identify persons eligible for CoVs. Although Bhushan participated in the survey conducted last August, he hasn’t been CoV to date.Last month, the court noted that Bhushan “has been in litigation with the MCD for several years now and despite repeated orders of this Court, both in writ jurisdiction as well as in the contempt jurisdiction, the MCD has not issued the CoV” to him. The HC had then subsequently directed MCD to explain the reasons behind the non-issuance.Story continues below this adThe court had then recorded in its February order, “The Petitioner, who is a 100% visually disabled person, has been made to run from pillar to post by the MCD.”Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd