Rag Pickers Gone Thieves! Three Caught and handed Over to Cops
Mangaluru: Ever wondered where does your daily garbage go? Not that you care but ask one of the rag pickers in the City, and for that matter, all over India, and he or she would be able to tell you every nook and corner of the city where this trash gets accumulated.For them, it is their workplace! The rag pickers are as much a part of our society as we are. Just that they do not have the most respected or a dignified nine to five job. It’s a rag picker’s pride that he is not a beggar or a thief. You will find them almost everywhere scavenging the garbage cans and the garbage dumping grounds. No, it’s not food that they are after, though if they find a half eaten apple or two, it would well be a bonus for them. And it is not just rags that they are after. But they are on a constant look out for plastic, clothes, metal pieces, boxes and a host of other things that you and I throw away nonchalantly every day. These are the good and hard working rag pickers who earn for their day to day living.
But on the other hand, we could also come across fake rag pickers, who act to be rag pickers but what they are really looking for is to steal valuable items. And here is one such incident that took place this morning near CV Nayak Hall-Kadri Road (down the road from Bunt’s Hostel), that a citizen of Mangaluru doubting on three rag pickers carrying huge bags on their shoulders were walking down that area. This citizen yelled “Robbers, robbers..” as loud as he could, until two other men joined him in apprehending these three rag pickers aka thieves. They were made to empty their bags- and among empty plastic water bottles, beer bottles, cardboard boxes, were also good aluminium tubular frames which they stole from a nearby fabrication shop.
The trio was made to sit across from their stolen goods until the cops from Kadri East Police Station arrived, under the leadership of Inspector Devappa, along with two other constables. All three were whisked into the police jeep along with their stolen goods for more interrogation at the police station. As per the information from the police at Kadri east Police station, the names of the three in custody are – Mallikarjuna (44), and Mallesha (48) from Shivamogga; and Santhosha (28) from Hassan district- all three don’t have any prior convictions- since they were all alcoholics, all three took to stealing to earn extra money for their daily booze.They will be produced before the judge this evening, according to the police.
So next time you see a rag picker or a bunch of rag pickers, make sure you keep an eye on them, and if you suspect there is something fishy going on, raise a voice or if you can handle the situation by yourself, go for it-you never know, your quick action could be helpful in catching hold of a thief or thieves that the cops might have been looking for, and you will be proud of yourself- and could be rewarded also.