Motorist Booked for Giving Alms to Beggar in Indore

Indore: A case has been registered against a motorist for allegedly giving Rs 10 to a beggar in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, where the administration has enforced a ban on begging and giving alms, police said on Tuesday.

This is the second such case registered in the city within a fortnight, an official said.

He said a first information report has been registered under section 223 (disobedience to order issued by a public servant) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) against an unidentified motorist who gave alms of Rs 10 to a beggar sitting in front of a temple in the Lasudia police station area on Monday.

The case was registered based on a complaint by an officer of the administration's beggary eradication team.

Under BNS section 223, the guilty can be punished with imprisonment up to one year or a fine up to Rs 5,000 or both.

The administration, which has set a target to make Indore the country's first beggar-free city, has imposed a legal ban on begging, giving alms and buying any goods from beggars.

Earlier, an FIR was registered against an unidentified person who gave alms to a beggar in front of a temple on Khandwa Road on January 23.

Talking to PTI, Phool Singh, an officer of the administration's Beggary Eradication Team, said, "In the last six months, more than 600 people involved in begging in the city have been sent to shelter homes for rehabilitation. Around 100 children were sent to childcare institutions." He said many of these people were begging on the pretext of selling balloons and other small items at traffic signals.

The administration has also announced a reward of Rs 1,000 to persons providing information about begging in the city.

The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has started a pilot project to make 10 cities of the country beggar-free. 

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