As part of a concentrated effort to make Indore a beggar-free city, local authorities recently rescued a physically-challenged man who had been begging for years in the bustling Sarafa Bazaar. Unable to walk, the 50-year-old man, known only as Mangilal, spent his days cross-legged on a small wooden platform fitted with wheels, slowly pushing himself around. He had lost his fingers to leprosy, so he was a sorry sight that made many reach into their pockets for a few coins.
Mangilal never asked people for anything; he just stood on his platform with his gaze fixed on the ground, which only made him more pitiful. But it turns out this was a carefully planned strategy that made him richer than most able-bodied people in the world.
After being taken in, given a shower, and provided with clean clothes, Mangilal was questioned by civil servants about his situation, and it turned out that he wasn’t as helpless as he appeared. He reportedly earned thousands of rupees per day begging and was lending money to shopkeepers in the Sarafa Bazaar at interest.
Subsequent checks revealed that he was not homeless, but actually owned three homes: a three-storey house, a second house, and a flat that was given to him by a government welfare programme. In addition, he owned two auto-rickshaws that he had rented out to others, and a car for which he had hired a driver on a salary of Rs 12,000 ($130).
Mangilal himself admitted that the oney he earns in Safara isn’t required for survival, but rather a source of funds for various investments. Officials are currently checking if the 50-year-old beggar has any bank accounts to his name as well. During the investigation, it was revealed that Mangilal’s family members were also involved in begging.
“I certainly go there, but don’t beg, it’s the people who put the money in my pocket or throw coins or notes on the wooden board,” Mangilal tried explaining, knowing that begging is illegal in Indore.
Interestingly, India is also home to the world’s richest beggar, a man whose fortune puts Magilal’s to shame.
