Hyderabad: A recent rescue of 23 beggars from junctions across the city revealed that they were part of a ‘begging mafia’ and had opted to join the racket as a part-time job, making over Rs 2,500 per day, the police said.
In an operation by the West Zone Task Force, anti-human trafficking unit (AHTU) and an NGO, 23 beggars, along with a kingpin of the racket, Anil Pawar, were arrested on August 17.
According to the police, Pawar was leading a lavish life from the income generated through the racket. He made lakhs of rupees, owns a bungalow in Gulbarga and invested Rs 25 lakh in a private chit fund from the collections of beggars.
A senior police officer said: “I was surprised to see that a beggar earns over Rs 2,500 per day. Our personnel, dressed in civilian clothes, were posted at various traffic junctions and revealed this information.”
Another police source said: “None of them are disabled or dependent; they opted for begging as a part-time job. In three hours, they earn over Rs 2,500 per day and on weekends, their income is doubled. There are hundreds of beggars operating in different circles that have been auctioned among themselves.”
“These families are totally dependent on the begging mafia, as they have involved their children, sisters, brothers, uncles, aunts and friends into the easy money-minting business,” the source said.
The police said that the beggars deliberately have children to gain public sympathy, in the racket that has been going on for seven years.
“They have their own houses on the city outskirts, own cars, bank deposits and live a lavish life. They go to pubs, reputed hotels, multiplexes and spend money very lavishly,” another senior police officer investigating the begging mafia racket said.
Sources said that a group that operates on one signal is not allowed to beg at other signals, with two men who tried to beg at a non-designated signal severely beaten up by their superior in the hierarchy two weeks ago.
“While begging, they wear a torn shabby dress, paste their faces and under eye with oil and charcoal. Some of them have even deliberately got their legs and hands cut for the sake of begging,” the senior police officer said.
“I urge the public not to waste their hard-earned money and fall prey to such beggars who lead a lavish life. Very soon, we will nab them,” the officer said.
North Zone DCP Chandana Deepti said: “Our special teams are also working on the begging mafia. Very soon, we will get them.”
