Beggars make hay as cops turn a blind eye

Festivity perks at charminar

The next time you shop on the busy streets of Charminar, just be wary of that obstinate beggar who will drive you crazy. There have been many complaints against women clad in burqa who have tormenting the public by indulging in an organised act of begging.

And this time the cops the cops are as hapless as you are. With festivities and celebrations surrounding Milad-Un-Nabi, the cops are refraining from indulging in any act that can give rise to tensions in the place. Rupali Jain, who regularly visits the Charminar along with her friends, describes her affair with the beggars a nightmare. She happened to get rid of a beggar last week after offering her a few bucks. But this prompted other burqa clad women to follow suit who pursued her till she parted with some money.

“I paid to one beggar and the rest started to advance me. The hitch was that if I didn’t pay them, they started becoming violent and hinted at snatching away my purse. In order to avoid further problems, I was forced to pay them and flee the area,” Rupali lamented.

Businessman Akash Agarwal came down from Delhi on a vacation and visited the Charminar a couple of days ago. But all his excitement was ruined after he faced a female beggar who started following him endlessly asking for alms. Akash paid her a few bucks but to his surprise, she was not pleased and tried to snatch away his bag. Other women took this as a cue and surrounded Akash and pestered him to part with alms.

“These days there are many beggars who throng the streets and bug my customers for alms who come to buy a product. I have no idea as to where these people come from. They are definitely a menace to us,” says Rasheed, a street vendor. “It’s a nuisance these days and the beggars have become more active in the last one month owing to the festive season. I find that most of the beggars, especially women, stand in a group and observe people.

If they spot anyone who is not from the city, they immediately pounce on them and spoil their shopping experience,” rues Abdul Rahim, a textile shop owner. Charminar Police circle inspector Yadagiri clarifies that they did receive a lot of complaints in the past one month, but did not arrest any women owing to the festivities surrounding Milad-Un-Nabi. He adds that these beggars don’t fear the police and are used to any kind of pressure from the cops. “We have now deployed women police to handle the beggars. If any of them is detained, they will be counseled and sent to rescue homes,” he said.

By:Chaand Ahmed