The anti-human trafficking unit (AHTU) of Coimbatore police picked up 25 beggars from traffic signals in a city-wide crackdown on Tuesday. Police said the detained men and women hail from Maharashtra and Rajasthan, who arrived in Coimbatore a few months ago to make a living by begging. The detainees said they worked in farms back home, but had to abandon their native after bad crops pushed them into deep debts. They added that for the sake of survival they even had to coerce their children into the act.
AHTU woman sub-inspector R Krishnaveni and her team received complaints from motorists regarding a group of vagrants, including men, women and children, begging at Avinashi Road traffic signals here. AHTU formed a team to pick up beggars from signals starting from Lakshmi Mills Junction to Chinniyampalayam signal. "We have detained nine women, three men, seven boys and five girls who were begging in traffic signals. The children were forced into begging and a few of them tied cloths around their hands and legs to make it seem as if they were severely injured," she said.
Some of the detained women told police that they were only selling toys near the signals. "We came to the city from Maharashtra by train a few months ago. We sell toys at the signal and never ask our children to beg," they said. But police said that they have in video footage evidence showing the women forcing their children to beg.
Rane Singh, 31, of Amravati district in Maharashtra, said that he was a farmer. "Those who were picked up were all farmers in Maharashtra and Rajasthan. But had to give it up due to the severe drought in the area. We moved to Coimbatore in order to survive," he said. Adding "Our children study in schools back home and we would return home in the first week of June,"
However, police sent seven children to the Don Bosco Anbu Illam at Ukkadam, where they were produced before the chairman of Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Two of them had identity proofs and were let off while the others were admitted to homes.
A girl was sent to the Mariyalaya shelter home at Ganapathy and four boys were admitted at the Don Bosco Anbu Illam. The other 18 were sent to a shelter home run by Coimbatore Municipal Corporation at RS Puram. The CWC approached the Amravati district officials in Maharashtra for further investigation.
AHTU woman sub-inspector R Krishnaveni and her team received complaints from motorists regarding a group of vagrants, including men, women and children, begging at Avinashi Road traffic signals here. AHTU formed a team to pick up beggars from signals starting from Lakshmi Mills Junction to Chinniyampalayam signal. "We have detained nine women, three men, seven boys and five girls who were begging in traffic signals. The children were forced into begging and a few of them tied cloths around their hands and legs to make it seem as if they were severely injured," she said.
Some of the detained women told police that they were only selling toys near the signals. "We came to the city from Maharashtra by train a few months ago. We sell toys at the signal and never ask our children to beg," they said. But police said that they have in video footage evidence showing the women forcing their children to beg.
Rane Singh, 31, of Amravati district in Maharashtra, said that he was a farmer. "Those who were picked up were all farmers in Maharashtra and Rajasthan. But had to give it up due to the severe drought in the area. We moved to Coimbatore in order to survive," he said. Adding "Our children study in schools back home and we would return home in the first week of June,"
However, police sent seven children to the Don Bosco Anbu Illam at Ukkadam, where they were produced before the chairman of Child Welfare Committee (CWC). Two of them had identity proofs and were let off while the others were admitted to homes.
A girl was sent to the Mariyalaya shelter home at Ganapathy and four boys were admitted at the Don Bosco Anbu Illam. The other 18 were sent to a shelter home run by Coimbatore Municipal Corporation at RS Puram. The CWC approached the Amravati district officials in Maharashtra for further investigation.