MH-MAHIM DARGAH

Mumbai: Cops clear beggars from streets around Mahim Dargah
    Mumbai, Sep 22 (PTI) Police have removed over 1,140
beggars from the streets around the famous Mahim Dargah in the
last eight months and registered 665 cases under the
Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, a senior
official said on Sunday.
    Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ajinath Satpute
said the drive against vagrants was started after complaints
from residents about nuisance.
    He added that some of them were also consuming drugs
and carrying out crimes like house-breaking thefts and
snatching of valuables.
    "We have removed 1140 beggars in the last eight months
and have registered 665 cases under the NDPS Act. We found
that people were having trouble reaching the main gate of the
dargah because of the presence of these beggars. Moreover,
there were also complaints of their involvement in crime,"
Satpute said.
    While the police action has made the vicinity of the
dargah clean, it has left a section of eatery owners unhappy.
    These beggars formed the clientele of many of the
nondescript eating places and their removal has hit the cash
counter significantly, several owners said.
    "There are around 15-20 such hotels in the area, each
of which used to get at least 100 beggars a day as customers.
That has dried up," one of the owners said. PTI ZA
BNM BNM

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)