Meet Mangilal: the disabled Indore beggar earning Rs 1000 daily who owns a 3-storey house and a car

Begging on busy streets usually paints a picture of struggle, people in tattered clothes holding out their hands, hoping for a few coins as the city rushes past.But every so often, someone comes along and flips that image on its head, showing that there’s more than meets the eye - hustle, brains, and survival instincts hidden in plain sight.Take Indore, for example. City drives to clear beggars off the streets sometimes uncover stories that make you do a double take. One man, pushing an iron cart through bustling markets, drew sympathy and cash, but what people later discovered about him? Totally unexpected for a beggar.It’s a reminder that appearances can be deceiving. What looks like rock bottom might actually be funding roofs over heads and even cars on the road.From the busy stations of Mumbai to the bazaars of Indore, so-called “crorepati beggars” are forcing us to rethink everything we thought we knew about street life. With enough grit and smarts, even pennies can turn into lakhs. Indore’s recent push to clear beggars from streets brought Mangilal into the spotlight. He’s a disabled man navigating Sarafa Bazaar on an iron cart, using his hands inside shoes to push himself forward. People passing by reportedly gave him anywhere from ₹500 to ₹1,000 a day.When the Women and Child Development team looked closer, they discovered that Mangilal owned more than most would expect. A three-storey house in Bhagat Singh Nagar, a 600 sq ft property in Shiv Nagar, and a PMAY one-bedroom flat in Alwasa (given via the Red Cross due to his disability), as he told officials, according to India Today.Mangilal doesn’t just survive, he thrives. He rents out three auto-rickshaws, owns a Swift Dzire with a driver, and even lends money at steep interest rates in Sarafa, collecting ₹400–500 a day. Officials estimate his loans total ₹4–5 lakh, helping him pull in ₹500–1,000 daily, according to a TOI report. He lives in the Alwasa flat with his parents, while his brothers have their own homes.After complaints, the Women and Child Development team checked his bank accounts and cash. They’re planning to present him before the district collector over his PMAY house ownership, despite him having other properties, the District Nodal Officer told India Today.Mangilal’s tale isn’t entirely unique. He mirrors Mumbai’s Bharat Jain, who started begging over 40 years ago near CST and Azad Maidan. Today, Jain owns two flats worth ₹1.4 crore each and has a net worth of ₹7.5 crore. According to a previous TOI report, he earns ₹2,000–2,500 a day, raking in over ₹60,000 a month.