In a surprising turn of events during Indore’s anti-begging campaign, a differently-abled man known for seeking alms in Sarafa market has been uncovered as a millionaire with assets worth crores. Mangilal, who navigates on a wooden cart with wheels, was rescued by the Women and Child Development Department team as part of the “Beggar-free Indore” initiative. Officials were shocked to learn about his significant wealth, despite receiving daily alms ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 from compassionate passersby.
Mangilal, who never actively begged but passively accepted money, owns three houses in different parts of the city, including a three-storey building in Bhagat Singh Nagar, a 600 sq ft home in Shiv Nagar, and a one-bedroom flat in Alwasa obtained through the PMAY scheme due to his disability. Additionally, he has a car with a personal driver and three auto-rickshaws. Contrary to his appearance, Mangilal had transformed his alms into a profitable lending business, providing loans at high interest rates to small traders and jewelry shop owners in the Sarafa area.
The rescue team, part of the initiative to eliminate begging in Indore, had been aware of Mangilal’s activities and had made unsuccessful attempts to approach him before successfully locating him in the Sarafa market. This case sheds light on the issue of “professional” or covert begging, where individuals exploit public sympathy while concealing substantial wealth, sometimes engaging in illegal money lending practices. Mangilal has been moved for rehabilitation, and authorities are in the process of verifying his bank accounts, cash holdings, and other assets. He is scheduled to appear before the District Collector to address potential misuse of government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Arogya Yojana.
