In a shocking revelation, a 40-year-old MP woman named Indra Bai has been found to have accumulated a substantial sum of ₹ 2.5 lakh within a mere span of 45 days. The source of this income? She had been forcing her three minor children to beg on the bustling streets of Indore.

Indra Bai and her family are part of a larger group of approximately 150 individuals who are involved in begging in the city. Despite owning land and a two-storey house in Rajasthan, the family has resorted to begging as a means of income, as reported by a local NGO.

The woman was recently discovered begging at the Luv-Kush intersection on the Indore-Ujjain road. Rupali Jain, the president of Pravesh, an organization that is working in collaboration with the administration to make Indore a beggar-free city, reported finding ₹ 19,200 in cash with Indra.

Out of her five children, Indra had coerced her eight-year-old daughter and two sons, aged nine and ten, into begging. Upon the arrival of Jain's team, the sons fled the scene, while the daughter was taken into the custody of the Child Welfare Committee. The rest of her children are currently in Rajasthan.

Indra disclosed that she had collected ₹ 2.5 lakh in donations over the past 45 days. She had sent ₹ 1 lakh to her in-laws, deposited ₹ 50,000 in a bank account, and invested ₹ 50,000 in fixed deposit schemes. This revelation has raised questions about the extent of the begging racket in the city.

Further investigations revealed that Indra's family also owned land and a two-storey house in Rajasthan. Indra's husband had bought a motorcycle in her name, and the couple would travel around the city on it, scouting for lucrative begging spots.

After being apprehended, Indra reportedly had a dispute with a female NGO worker. She was arrested under section 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which pertains to the arrest to prevent the commission of a cognisable offence. She was then presented before an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) court, which ordered her judicial custody.

In light of these events, the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has initiated a pilot project aimed at eliminating begging in 10 cities, including Indore. This incident underscores the urgency and importance of such initiatives.

"We have set a target to rescue children forced to beg in the city. So far, 10 children have been rescued and sent to the government-run children's home." Ashish Singh, Indore District Magistrate stated. Strict action is also being taken against the gangs involved in forcing children to beg, he added.

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