Indore has been left stunned by the revelation of a beggar who is, in reality, a crorepati. Mangilal, who for years was seen begging in the city’s busy Sarafa (bullion market) area, was found to own multiple properties, vehicles and a flourishing money-lending business. Despite possessing assets that many middle-class families can only aspire to, he continued to survive on alms, raising serious questions about human behavior and social mindset.
In today’s episode of DNA, Rahul Sinha, Managing Editor of Zee News, conducted a detailed analysis of this unusual case, linking it to human nature and the tendency to cling to habits even after achieving financial security.
According to officials, Mangilal earned between ₹500 and ₹1,000 daily through begging. Instead of merely spending this money, he invested it by lending it at interest. Shockingly, his borrowers included affluent jewelers and bullion traders who operate businesses worth crores of rupees. Mangilal not only lent them money but also regularly collected interest, daily from some and weekly from others, while continuing to beg in the very same lanes where these businessmen ran their shops.
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The truth surfaced during an anti-beggary campaign conducted by the Women and Child Development Department. During the operation, Mangilal was rescued from the Sarafa area, where he moved around on a wooden sliding cart, carrying a bag on his back and shoes in his hands. When officials questioned him, the details that emerged were startling.
Investigations revealed that Mangilal owns three houses, one of which he received under the disability quota. He also owns three auto-rickshaws that he rents out and a Swift Dzire car, for which he has employed a driver. He lives with his parents in the Alwas area of Indore. In essence, he enjoys a lifestyle that surpasses that of many ordinary citizens.
Officials involved in the rescue admitted they were taken back by the extent of his wealth. The case has since become a topic of discussion across households, as it challenges the commonly held belief that begging is driven solely by poverty or lack of opportunity.
French writer and social thinker Victor Hugo once said, “When the law does not give bread, it pushes a man toward crime or begging.” While this idea often explains why people turn to begging, Mangilal’s story presents a different perspective. Here, begging appears not as a compulsion born of desperation, but as a deeply ingrained habit, one that he continued to exploit as a means of earning sympathy, despite having more than enough to live a dignified life.
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