As Indore enforces ban on begging, FIR filed over giving beggar money

Indore police on Thursday filed an FIR against an unidentified individual for distributing alms to a beggar. This comes after district officials said last month that cases would be filed against anyone giving alms. The administration had earlier issued an order prohibiting begging throughout the city.

The FIR was filed under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which punishes disobedience to a public servant's directives. The section provides for imprisonment for up to one year, a fine of up to Rs 2,500, or both.

An officer from the city's Beggary Eradication Team made the complaint that resulted in the FIR. “We have registered two FIRs. One against the unidentified person who gave alms and another against the beggar, who was an unidentified female. No arrests have been made so far,” said a police officer.

Indore, which has been named India's cleanest city for many years in a row, is now focussing on eradicating begging as part of its overall urban development plan. The authorities have imposed tight restrictions on both offering and accepting alms, Indian Express reported.

The policy is part of a larger push to rehabilitate beggars and end the practice entirely. To enforce the restriction, officials have implemented rigorous measures, including the filing of FIRs against violators beginning January 1 this year. Since December, the Indore administration has conducted awareness campaigns on the ban.

Last month, Indore District Collector Ashish Singh appealed to city residents "not to become partners in the sin by giving alms to people".

The administration has exposed several gangs that force people to beg, and many of those involved have been rehabilitated, he said. The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched a pilot effort to make ten cities in the country beggar-free, including Indore.