Mumbai: Cops unearth the fascinating life of Govandi beggar

Four of Biradichand's five sons, (from left) Rajkumar, Dharampal, Sukhdevram and Sarjeet at the GRP police station on Tuesday

The five sons of lakhpati beggar Biradichand Azad landed nm at the Government Railway Police (GRP), Vashi, on Tuesday, to claim their father's body and money, and revealed some intriguing details about his past. They told mid-day that he had worked as a mason in Muscat for two years, his real surname is not Azad, he was jailed over a scuffle with neighbours and they believed that he was not begging, but following the teachings of Nirankari Baba.

The sons told mid-day that Biradichand had gone to Muscat in 1977, had worked there for two years and made a lot of money before returning to India. Vashi GRP traced his five sons - Sukhdevram, Rajkumar, Dharampal, Sarjeet and Sawarmal - through documents found at his shanty. An officer privy to the investigation said, "Sawarmal, the youngest son, lives in Mumbai. Rajkumar, too, was in the city for the past two months and the rest live in their ancestral home in Rajasthan. Sawarmal works as a supervisor in a private company in Mumbai and he keeps shuttling between Mumbai and Goa for his work, he claims."

Biradichand's service card when he was working in Muscat

Cop speaks

Senior inspector of Vashi police station Nandkishore Saste said, "We had recovered Azad's Aadhaar card, PAN card and senior citizen card from his shanty in Govandi. The address mentioned on his Aadhaar card is of Mumbai but that on the senior citizen card helped us trace his sons in Rajashthan. We contacted our counterparts in Rajasthan who helped us convey the message of Biradichand's death to his kin."

He added, "We got in touch with all the sons. While scanning the documents related to Biradichand's bank account and fixed deposits, we learnt that the nominee is Sukhdev, his eldest son. We were told that Biradichand had been living alone in Mumbai since 1993," Saste said.

Biradichand's senior citizen card

He added, "At present we are probing the matter as Biradichand's and the sons' surnames do not match." The mismatch is the reason that the body has not been handed over
to the sons yet. On Tuesday, Sawarmal and Rajkumar appeared before the police and recorded their statement.

In his statement Sawarmal has said, "My father had gone to Muscat in 1977 and worked there as a mason for 2 years. After earning a good amount he came back and decided to move to Mumbai. In 1993, he shifted to Mumbai and settled in Govandi. But as my other brothers couldn't handle the city they returned to Rajasthan."

Biradichand's PAN card

Sawarmal stayed back and started living in Vikhroli. "My father used to have fights with neighbours often, and he was even jailed once over some scuffle," he added. Sawarmal claimed that they were shocked to know that their father had been begging. "He was not a beggar. He had accepted Nirankari Baba's teachings and was following that," he said.

'My father was a freedom fighter'

Sukhdevaram said, "My father was a freedom fighter, and hence he dropped his surname and called himself Azad. He had adopted a simple way of life after returning from Muscat and settling in Mumbai. Yes, our family did have disputes like any other, but that doesn't mean we had abandoned him."

When asked about the money that their father has left, he replied, "The final call on this will be taken by our mother, Maggidevi, who is in Rajasthan," he said. "His body is kept preserved at Rajawadi hospital. We are checking the authenticity of the claims made by the five men who claim to be Biradichand's sons. The surname of the five men is Talaniya," said another officer privy to the investigation.

Vashi GRP officials said, "The body only will be handed over to a close blood relative of the deceased. As all five brothers are here we can check their documents and take a final call on it. We are taking all precautionary measures as money is involved in the matter."

1993
Year Biradichand started living alone in Mumbai

1937
Year Biradichand was born

1977
Year Biradichand had gone to Muscat to work as a mason for two years

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