Certificates of Vending do not authorize vending in designated no-vending or no-hawking zones.

The 24 Petitioners were street vendors holding provisional Certificates of Vending (CoVs) authorising them to operate as mobile vendors within specified wards in the Karol Bagh Zone, including Ward Nos. 102-N and 99-N.

They alleged that they were being harassed and prevented from vending peacefully.

The MCD reported that none of the Petitioners had been allotted a fixed tehbazari site and that their CoVs permitted mobile vending subject to specified conditions, including a maximum period of 45 minutes at any one place.

Ajmal Khan Road, from Police Station Karol Bagh to Karol Bagh Metro Station, had been declared a “No-Vending” and “No-Hawking” zone because of a pedestrian project.

Photographs showed several Petitioners vending in that prohibited area and not moving periodically as required of mobile vendors.

The photographs also appeared to show the sale of products bearing well-known brand names, raising a concern regarding possible counterfeit or passing-off goods.

The Petitioners sought protection subject to compliance with their CoV conditions, relying on directions issued in similar cases.

Whether the Petitioners, holding provisional CoVs as mobile vendors, could be permitted to carry on vending activities on Ajmal Khan Road despite its declaration as a “No-Vending” and “No-Hawking” zone.

Whether the Petitioners were entitled to protection from interference, subject to compliance with the terms of their CoVs and additional conditions imposed by the Court.

Whether appropriate action could be directed against vendors found selling counterfeit or passed-off products bearing the names of well-known brands.

The Court applied the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, together with the applicable Rules, Schemes and the terms and conditions of the provisional CoVs, under which vendors must operate only in accordance with their authorisation and mobile vendors must not remain at one place beyond the prescribed period.

The Court relied on the established principle that a vendor holding a certificate cannot vend in an area expressly declared to be a “No-Vending” or “No-Hawking” zone.

It also relied on Pankaj Chopra v. Municipal Corporation of Delhi , W.P.(C) 323/2000, and Pushpendra Kumar & Ors. v. Municipal Corporation of Delhi & Ors. , W.P.(C) 3244/2025, which recognised that vending in the Karol Bagh area could occur only at specifically approved vending sites and that unauthorised vending activities were liable to removal.

The Court further referred to Section 21 of the 2014 Act concerning the plan of the Town Vending Committee and held that the directions would remain subject to any future plan, without creating vested rights.

Selling counterfeit or passed-off goods was treated as an illegal or unlawful activity contrary to Condition No. 10 of the CoV.

The Court distinguished between the Petitioners’ entitlement to vend under their provisional CoVs and their alleged manner and location of vending.

Since the CoVs authorised mobile vending only within specified wards and required compliance with their conditions, the Petitioners could not remain stationary or vend in Ajmal Khan Road, which had been conclusively identified as a prohibited zone.

The photographs demonstrated non-compliance with the mobile-vending requirement and vending in a no-vending area, thereby disentitling the Petitioners from any protection for those activities.

At the same time, the Court recognised that lawful mobile vending outside prohibited areas could continue, subject to the CoVs and further safeguards ensuring that pedestrian movement and access to Metro Stations were not obstructed.

The apparent sale of branded counterfeit products raised a separate unlawful-activity concern; accordingly, the Court directed the police to proceed in accordance with law where such products were being sold.

The Court also noted the importance of on-site signage so that vendors could identify no-vending areas, and recorded the MCD’s submission that signage had been installed on Ajmal Khan Road.

They were, however, permitted to operate as mobile vendors within the wards specified in their respective provisional CoVs, outside no-vending and no-hawking areas, and strictly in accordance with the CoV conditions.

If found vending in prohibited areas, the MCD and the concerned SHO were directed to remove them so as to protect pedestrian movement and Metro access.

The SHO, Police Station Karol Bagh, was directed to take action in accordance with law against vendors selling counterfeit or passed-off branded products.

The directions were made subject to any future plan framed by the Town Vending Committee-II, with no vested rights accruing to the Petitioners; the writ petition and pending application were accordingly disposed of.