Jammu (TAN): Beggars, who are not local citizens, are being seen in large numbers in many southern areas of India’s Jammu and Kashmir state, a report in Greater Kashmir said.
These beggars, who are easy to notice along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, pester pedestrians, tourists and students for alms.
Begging is an offence in India’s northernmost state under the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Beggary Act 1960.
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“You find these beggars at every tourist resort. Surprisingly, some beggars carry with them babies,” the report quoted Wajahat Ali, a tourist from Lucknow, as saying.
“We came here to view the beauty of Kashmir, but every moment we step out of the vehicle, we get surrounded by beggars, who do not let us go until we give them some money,” another tourist from Delhi said, the report added.
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Only a few days ago, the local authorities in Melbourne charged seven elderly international tourists for pretending to be homeless and begging for money.
Police said they are thought to be part of a larger gang that collected money and sent it overseas. Of the seven, six are Chinese citizens.
