With the contracts of extortionist mask marshals having run out, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Solid Waste Management department on Wednesday said they will not be rehired. But late in the evening, BMC Additional Commissioner and COVID frontman Suresh Kakani said they could be back on the streets. This despite complaints of extortion against them.

In the absence of mask marshals, BMC’s nuisance detectors now have the right to penalise people for not wearing masks, along with spitting and littering. However, the number of nuisance detectors is much less at 40 as opposed to 240 clean-up marshalls across the city.