BENGALURU: A 24-year-old rag picker, who had allegedly been inflicting burn injuries on his lover’s children so that they would earn more from begging, was beaten up by an angry crowd on Monday.
Devaraj (24), a rag picker now in the custody of Vyalikaval police, was tormenting Gayathri (5), Badri (4) and Vishwa (3), all children of Fathima (21).
He had been with Fathima for a month and a half, and was allegedly pestering her to abandon her children, who had also been forced into begging.
“I got married to Thangaraj, a rag picker, six years ago and moved to Bengaluru from my native Doddaballapur. I used to work at marriage halls for a living, and also beg near a Sai Baba temple,” Fathima told Express. However, Thangaraj would demand money for drinking, and allegedly assault Fathima if she refused. Two months ago, he abandoned her and the children, and went away to Peenya.
“I then came into contact with Devaraj who had worked as an office boy and is now a rag-picker,” she said.
Fathima alleged that Devaraj was already married to another woman who lived near Malleswaram. “When I refused to let go of my children, he battered me on my face, hands and legs,” she said.
Appu, who lives in the Vyalikaval slum, said Devaraj was addicted to drugs, and needed money all the time. “For two weeks, he had hit them with utensils, and burnt their bodies with beedi and cigarette butts. When they had open wounds, they got more money than usual,” Appu told Express.
Devaraj, seeing more money come his way, allegedly began to inflict fresh wounds every day, and expected them to bring in more money.