Ambala gang supplying beggars at Jor Mela

Fatehgarh Sahib : An organised gang of beggars is trying to cash in on the Jor Mela to make money and have left bleeding beggars at the mercy of devotees visiting Fatehgarh Sahib gurdwara.The three-day mela, organised to observe the martyrdom day of younger sahibzadas (sons) of Guru Gobind Singh, began today. Several devotees from all over the world will pay obeisance at the gurdwara. SP (headquarters) J S Sidhu said a gang of robbers was dropped by a contractor at various points in the mela. “We are verifying the facts. Cops have been deployed to trace people who drop beggars here,” said the SP. He said there were around 15 beggars identified and action would soon be initiated in this regard soon. “We have seen the vehicle dropping these beggars on roads leading to the gurdwara. They all were bleeding and were draped in white bandages,” said Jai Kishan, a resident of Bassi Pathana. People were seen offering Rs 5 to Rs 50 to these beggars. Most of them are in a pathetic condition and have been left out in the cold. Sources in the police said this was an organised gang, which came from Ambala during the mela every year. “Packed in vehicles from the railway stations, these beggars are dropped at various crowded locations and are picked up at night. The contractor, who collects money, has demarcated various areas for these beggars. If someone tries to dislocate these beggars, the contractor in-charge intervenes,” said a police official at the mela.

Though none of the beggars disclosed their identities but they said around 18 beggars, suffering from different ailments were brought here by a contractor from the railway station. In the evening, beggars “on duty” divide the money collected with contractors. “I collect Rs 200 to Rs 500 or more in a day at market places. But at the mela, I have already collected Rs 250 by afternoon. As the pilgrims keep pouring in, the collections increase,” said a beggar, who identified herself as Pawa. She said the beggars were rushed back to the railway station at night to come back again next morning. Another beggar, Jaggu, said he had been begging with his ailing son. The beggar said they visited the mela every year and came from Kurukshetra. Sources said some of these beggars were not suffering from any illness but scratched themselves to evoke sympathy. Fatehgarh Sahib SSP Ranbir Singh Khattra could not be contacted for comments.