A 68-year-old woman in Karnataka, who spent her life begging, died of an age-related illness, leaving behind more than several sacks containing coins and currency notes.
The woman, identified as Hoor, was found dead at her rented home in Mandya, according to a PTI report.
After her death, locals inspected the house and were stunned to find thousands of coins and currency notes stuffed into sacks among her belongings. The cash, accumulated over the years, included notes of ₹10 and ₹20.
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₹8.4 lakhs found in Hoor's belongings
A video from the house showed locals going through Hoor's belongings and counting the large collection of coins and currency notes. More than 30 sacks containing the money were found inside the house.
The counting revealed that she had accumulated a total of ₹8.4 lakh, according to a report by NDTV.
Hoor had lived in the rented house with her sister. Both women were unmarried and lived together until Hoor's sister died two years ago. Hoor continued to stay in the house after her sister's death and earned her living by begging, the report added.
{{/usCountry}}Hoor had lived in the rented house with her sister. Both women were unmarried and lived together until Hoor's sister died two years ago. Hoor continued to stay in the house after her sister's death and earned her living by begging, the report added.
{{/usCountry}}After Hoor's death, the money recovered from her home was handed over to her two brothers.
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Indore's beggar with cars and property
The discovery comes months after a similar case in Madhya Pradesh, where a government campaign to remove begging from the streets of Indore uncovered the surprising wealth of a man known as a beggar.
In January, the “Beggar-free Indore” campaign led officials to discover that a man named Mangilal owned property and vehicles worth crores of rupees.
The campaign was launched to help people dependent on begging find alternative means of livelihood. During the drive, teams from the Madhya Pradesh Women and Child Development Department identified Mangilal in the Sarafa Bazaar area, where he had reportedly been seen for years receiving money from passers-by, The Times of India reported.
When officials took him in for rehabilitation, they discovered that Mangilal owned three houses in different parts of Indore, including a multi-storey building and a 600-square-foot house, India Today reported. He also owned three auto-rickshaws and a Swift Dzire, which he rented out to generate income.
Mangilal had also received a one-bedroom house under the PMAY scheme, which is intended for people in need, despite already owning property. Officials are now investigating how he became eligible for the benefit.
The investigation further revealed that Mangilal worked as a moneylender, providing loans to small shopkeepers in Sarafa Bazaar and collecting interest. Authorities said charging high interest is illegal and would be examined as part of the investigation.