Mumbai: Cops clear beggars from streets around Mahim Dargah

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.