Mumbai: Bharat Jain, often referred to as the world’s richest beggar, has accumulated a net worth of ₹7.5 crore through begging on Mumbai's busy streets. Despite achieving financial stability, Jain continues begging, a practice he claims to enjoy.
Jain, 52, has been begging for over 40 years, earning an average daily income of ₹2,000 to ₹2,500 by spending 10-12 hours at key locations like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Azad Maidan. His monthly income from begging ranges between ₹60,000 and ₹75,000, surpassing that of many salaried professionals.
In addition to his earnings, Jain has made prudent investments. He owns two apartments in Mumbai valued at ₹1.4 crore, where he resides with his family, and two shops in Thane, which generate ₹30,000 in monthly rental income. His sons, who attended a reputed convent school, now assist with the family’s stationery business, adding another stream of income.
Jain’s family, including his wife, two sons, father, and brother, reportedly disapprove of his decision to continue begging. However, Jain insists that he enjoys the activity, stating, “I’m not greedy. I’m generous.” He also donates to temples regularly.
Jain's story sheds light on India’s expansive begging industry, valued at an estimated ₹1.5 lakh crore. Similar cases include Sambhaji Kale, with a net worth of ₹1.5 crore, and Laxmi Das, with ₹1 crore.
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Mumbai (PTI): The Food and Drug Administration team probing the cause of death of four members of a family in south Mumbai's JJ Marg area have not been able to zero in on any watermelon vendor in the vicinity to check if the fruit had a role to play in the ill-fated incident, an official said on Thursday.
The Dokadia family, residents of Ghari Mohalla on Ismail Kurte Road, had hosted a get-together of relatives on the night of April 25. At around 1 am, hours after the guests had left, Abdullah Dokadia (40), his wife Nasreen (35), and daughters Ayesha (16) and Zaineb (13) ate pieces of a watermelon.
They suffered severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea in the early hours of April 26 and were rushed to a local hospital before being referred to the government-run J J Hospital where all four died during treatment.
"The FDA team visited the house of Dokadia and collected samples of chicken pulao and watermelon pieces. After two days, the leftover chicken pulao had developed fungus growth. The team also tried to locate watermelon vendors to check for any affected lots," he said.
But no vendors were found in the area for the past two days, preventing the FDA team from getting samples, the official added.
The FDA has requested the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to share the report on the food samples collected by them, he added.
A senior Mumbai police official said the force is waiting for FSL reports in the case, adding that questions on presence of sedatives etc in the fruit could be answered only then.
The statements of the kin of the deceased are being recorded to ascertain if it is a case of mass suicide, and it is being checked if the Dokadia family were in debt or distressed over some issue, the police official said.
