For years, consumers and merchants in Indore’s bustling Sarafa bullion market would see the identical sight: A leprosy-afflicted man sliding via the lanes on a wood cart, a worn bag on his again, palms clutching outdated footwear for assist.
Final week, authorities discovered a twist within the story. The person was richer than many he begged from, proudly owning three homes, working a casual money-lending enterprise that earned him over Rs 1,000 a day, and sustaining a small fleet of autorickshaws that he rented out.
Mangilal, 50, was “rescued” throughout an anti-begging drive by the Girls and Baby Growth Division in Indore, the place begging is banned.
In line with officers, the rescue staff acquired details about Mangilal at 10 pm on Saturday and tracked him down.
“We’ve discovered that this man owns three concrete homes, together with a three-storey constructing,” stated Dinesh Mishra, nodal officer for the division’s begging eradication marketing campaign. “He has three autorickshaws that he rents out. The person additionally owns a automobile by which he goes begging. He has employed a driver for this goal.”
In line with officers, Mangilal had lent Rs 4-5 lakh to folks within the Sarafa space, amassing every day curiosity alongside the Rs 400-500 he made out of begging. His methodology was disarmingly efficient as “he by no means requested for cash straight, merely positioning himself close to consumers till they voluntarily gave,” Mishra stated.
The properties linked to Mangilal embrace a three-storey home in Bhagat Singh Nagar, a 600-square-foot home in Shivnagar, and a one-bedroom flat in Alwas.
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Mangilal lives together with his aged mother and father in Alwas, whereas his two brothers stay individually. He has now been moved to the Sevadam Ashram in Ujjain.
District Collector Shivam Verma confirmed that punitive motion could be taken as soon as all info are verified. “Indore is a beggar-free metropolis, and the federal government is arranging for the rehabilitation of beggars in order that they don’t face any type of inconvenience,” Verma stated.
The Indore administration has been working an intensive anti-begging marketing campaign since February 2024. Preliminary surveys recognized 6,500 beggars. Whereas 4,500 have been counselled to cease begging, 1,600 have been rescued and despatched to Sevadam Ashram, and 172 youngsters have been enrolled in faculties. The town, already celebrated as India’s cleanest for a decade, has imposed authorized bans on begging, giving alms, and even buying items from beggars.
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