Siwan: In a shocking turn of events, a youth from Hussainganj village in Bihar’s Siwan district, who was presumed dead and had even undergone a Shraddha Karma (last rites), was found begging in Prayagraj’s Maha Kumbh after being abducted and tortured by a begging mafia.
Four friends from Hussainganj—Amarjeet, Karan, Kishan, and Vikas—had traveled to Prayagraj for a holy dip at the Kumbh when they unexpectedly found Parmeshwar Pandit, a fellow villager, sitting in a wheelchair and begging under the Naini Bridge. The moment their eyes met, Parmeshwar broke down in tears.
Recognizing him, Amarjeet recalled that Parmeshwar’s Shraddha Karma had been performed two and a half months ago, assuming he was dead. To confirm his identity, they sent his photo to Omprakash, a neighbor from their village. When Omprakash showed the photo to Parmeshwar’s mother, Rekha Devi, she too burst into tears, confirming it was indeed her son.
The villagers immediately arranged a video call with Parmeshwar, assuring him that they would bring him home. Amarjeet then informed the Prayagraj Police, completed the formalities, and took Parmeshwar back to his village via train from Naini Railway Station.
Parmeshwar, who is speech-impaired and physically disabled, narrated his traumatic experience to his mother through gestures:
- In 2020, while visiting the Hussainganj market, he was abducted by unknown men who tied his hands and legs, gagged him, and took him away in a vehicle.
- He was locked in a room for several days without food and subjected to daily beatings.
- One day, a wealthy-looking man arrived, brutally assaulted him with a stick, breaking his teeth and both legs.
- He was then bandaged, gagged, and left in front of a temple to beg.
Forced into a Begging Racket
Parmeshwar was forced to beg every day. He revealed that:
- The gang provided food only once a day and seized all the money collected.
- Over 30 people were made to beg under this mafia.
- When he once refused to beg and tried to escape, he was brutally tortured—his tongue and private parts were burnt with a hot rod.
- The gang would kidnap children, gouge out their eyes, break their legs, or burn their tongues to make them look more pitiable for begging.
- They were frequently transported to different locations during major fairs, including the Maha Kumbh.
A Family Torn Apart
Parmeshwar’s mother, Rekha Devi, was overwhelmed with emotion upon seeing her son alive. She recalled how life had been tough after her husband’s death 25 years ago, when Parmeshwar was just one year old. She worked as a domestic helper to raise her children. Parmeshwar had a twin brother and three sisters, whose marriages were arranged after she sold 10 katthas of land.
Declared Dead in 2024, Shraddha Performed
Since his disappearance in 2020, the family had searched for Parmeshwar across cities like Gorakhpur, Deoria, and Varanasi but failed to locate him. Eventually, they assumed he had died. In December 2024, after the death of his elder brother in a road accident, villagers suggested performing Parmeshwar’s Shraddha Karma along with his brother’s, which was done.
Missing Children Crisis in Bihar
Parmeshwar’s case highlights the alarming issue of child trafficking and forced begging in Bihar. According to a recent Central Government report presented to the Supreme Court, 24,000 children have gone missing in Bihar since 2020, out of which 12,600 have been recovered, leaving around 12,000 still unaccounted for.
At a national level, the report states that 36,000 children remain missing, despite state and central police successfully tracing 3 lakh missing children since 2020.
While Parmeshwar has been rescued, thousands of other missing children might still be trapped in similar inhumane networks, waiting for a miracle to reunite with their families.
