"Begs by Day, Lends at Night"...The Truth Behind an Indian Beggar Who Owns Three Homes

According to Financial News, an Indian "wealthy beggar" who begged for money by day and then ran a high-interest loan business at night, amassing a fortune, has been arrested.
Indian media including The Indian Express and New Delhi Television (NDTV) reported that the double life of a 50-year-old man who had spent years begging in shabby clothes on the busy streets of Indore has been exposed.
His true identity came to light during a recent "anti-begging campaign" carried out by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, which involved on-site crackdowns on begging. After receiving a tip that a man with a disability was begging in the area, the Indian government launched an operation and arrested Mangilal.
According to The Indian Express and other outlets, Mangilal, who has a physical disability, had been begging since 2021 near the bustling Sarafa Bazaar gold market in Indore, targeting shoppers and merchants.
His method of begging was simple. He slung an old sack over his back, sat on a wheeled metal panel, and moved through the market alleys by turning the wheels with both hands. Even without asking for money, people naturally tossed coins and bills into his sack.
In this way, he earned about 400 to 500 rupees a day, roughly 6,300 to 7,900 won.
The government investigation revealed another side of Mangilal’s life. Using the money he collected from begging during the day, he ran an illegal moneylending business at night. He earned more than 1,000 rupees a day just from interest.
With the money he made, he came to own three houses, including a three-story building, and he also had a Maruti Suzuki Dzire sedan with a driver. He operated three autorickshaws as rental vehicles. Despite owning multiple properties, he still received government housing support by presenting himself as disabled.
Dinesh Mishra, Minister of Women and Child Development and head of the rescue operation, said, "During the investigation, Mangilal admitted that he had lent out the money he earned from begging to merchants in the Sarafa area," adding, "He would lend money for a day or a week and collect interest from them every day."
y27k@fnnews.com Seo Yoon-kyung Reporter