Begging by Day, Loan Sharking by Night... The Double Life of India's 'Wealthy Beggar'

Running a Loan Sharking and Real Estate Business with Begging Earnings
Received Public Housing Meant for Low-Income Residents
Owns Three Houses and a Car; Authorities Investigate Financial Transactions

In India, it has come as a shock that a man who had pretended to be disabled and begged for years was, in reality, amassing a fortune through loan sharking and rental businesses.

On January 19 (local time), Indian media outlets such as the Indian Express, NDTV, and Times of India reported that the police had urgently arrested a man named Mangillal (50), who had been begging in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

Mangillal, who begged during the day and earned money through illegal loan sharking at night. Indian Express

Since 2021, Mangillal had been begging in tattered clothes around the bustling Sarafa Gold Market in Indore. He, who has a physical disability, would sit on a small wheeled board or metal panel and move through the market alleys, eliciting sympathy. Even without making specific requests, citizens would place coins and bills on his bag or board. His daily income from begging averaged between 400 and 1,000 rupees (about 6,300 to 15,700 won), an amount comparable to or exceeding the local minimum wage.

However, his double life was exposed when the Indian Ministry of Women and Child Development conducted an on-site crackdown as part of a "begging eradication campaign." Investigations revealed that Mangillal used the money he collected from begging during the day as seed capital to run an illegal loan sharking business at night, targeting market merchants. He would lend money for a day or a week and collect interest daily, reportedly earning more than 1,000 rupees in interest income alone each day.

With the assets he accumulated this way, he owned three houses, including a three-story building, and generated additional income by renting out several auto rickshaws. It was also confirmed that he owned a car driven by a chauffeur. The controversy did not end there. Despite owning multiple houses, Mangillal was found to have also received a rental unit through the government’s public housing scheme (PMAY) for low-income individuals with disabilities.

Dinesh Mishra, Minister of Women and Child Development and head of the rescue operation, stated, "Mangillal admitted during the investigation that he lent money from his begging earnings to merchants," adding that evidence of an organized loan sharking operation had been found. In response, Mangillal reportedly denied responsibility for his begging activities, saying, "I never directly asked for money; people gave it voluntarily." The investigation also uncovered the possibility that his family members may have been involved in begging or managing the funds. Authorities have now secured Mangillal’s bank accounts to trace the flow of funds and are conducting further investigations into possible welfare fraud and illegal financial activities.