By Correspondent
Published Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Beggars are an eye sore and menace in every
society. In Sri Lanka, they are a common sight in buses and trains when people
embark on long distance journeys. Most sing for their supper entertaining
commuters, then there are the disabled and destitute mothers pleading for help
to feed their infants. However, people are wary of tricksters who have made
begging a profession.
During a crackdown by security
officers recently at a railway station in Ragama, a suburb of Colombo, 18
people begging inside train compartments were taken into custody.
More significantly, one of the
poor souls turned out to be a rich beggar, according to a report in sinhala
daily Lankadeepa.
It was discovered that he was
the owner of a van, two three wheelers (auto rickshaws) and had Rs.2 million
(approximately Dh58,000) in his bank account.
At the time of his arrest he
had collected over Rs4,000 (Dh114) within two hours, the Railway Security
personnel said.
This wealthy beggar has rented
out his two three wheelers and earns a daily income.
Although he is disabled, he
travels to Ragama railway station in his van and enters the station for his
job.
During the course of
investigations it was revealed that while begging, he dresses up in dirty
clothes and late in the evening he relaxes at home in a clean outfit. A
resident of Narammala from Kurunegala, is situated in the North Western
Province, he has been in this 'profession' for a long time.
The raid took place when
passengers complained of beggar menace.
Each beggar was fined Rs2,000
(Dh57) by a Colombo magistrate. If they could not afford to pay the fine, they
face six months imprisonment suspended for five years.
http://www.emirates247.com/offbeat/crazy-world/sri-lanka-beggar-with-dh58-000-bank-balance-2012-12-18-1.487636
