(L to R) Rajesh Kale, Nana Kale and Machinder Pawar have managed to come to Chembur to try and free their kin. Pic/Rane Ashish

In a major drive, around 167 men, women and children, staying on the streets, were taken into custody by the Nashik police under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act (BPBA), 1959. Most of them, including 30 women who were picked up in the drive conducted on May 7, were convicted by a Nashik court for a period of one year and sent to Pune, and later to the Chembur Beggars' Home. Some of the men who were spared, say none of them are beggars; they are running from pillar-to-post to free them.