Plot, bike, two-storey house, smartphone, and Rs 2.5 lakh: Indore beggar's fortunes baffle officials
children in begging activities. The authorities discovered that she had accumulated a plot of land, a two-storeyed house, a motorcycle, a smartphone worth Rs 20,000, and a significant sum of Rs 2.5 lakh within a span of six weeks.
Indra, who has a history of such offenses, was charged with begging and exploiting her children for the crime. She was subsequently remanded to jail on Monday, while one of her daughters was placed under the care of an NGO. Indra Bai defended her actions when confronted by volunteers from the NGO Sanstha Pravesh, stating, «Instead of starving, we chose to beg. It is better than stealing.»
The NGO, in collaboration with the Indore Municipal Corporation, has been gathering data on approximately 7,000 beggars, half of whom are children, from 38 major squares in Indore. Rupali Jain, a volunteer from the NGO, revealed that these beggars collectively earn over Rs 20 crore annually.
Apart from her seven-year-old daughter, Indra has four other children aged 10, 8, 3, and 2. She strategically positioned her older children at the bustling Luv Kush Square in Indore, which serves as a transit point for pilgrims visiting the Mahakal temple in Ujjain. Indra explained that the footfall of devotees significantly increased following the construction of Mahakal Lok, attracting more alms-seekers.
However, Indra's money-making venture came to an end on February 9 when she was caught begging with her daughter. Her husband and two older children managed to escape. Officials seized Rs 19,600 from Indra and
