Rag-picker beaten to death in front of his kids

A 54-year-old rag-picker was beaten to death before his three children by his friends after he questioned them for selling plastic waste to a new person in Begur on Friday.

The family of Mohammad Jamal, a resident of Chikkabeguru, hails from Uttar Pradesh and were staying in the city for the past four years. Jamal and his three sons were picking plastic waste after segregation and selling it for a living.

The police said Jamal had brought Mizan along with three others from Delhi to help him collect garbage. Jamal learnt that Mizan started selling garbage to Miraj, another rag-picker, and was making money on the side without his knowledge.

A senior police officer said Jamal confronted Miraj around 6 pm on Friday and objected to him buying garbage from Mizan.

Jamal told him that he had brought Mizan from Delhi to help him, but his shady dealing with Miraj was spoiling his business. Following heated arguments between the two, Miraj and his associates thrashed Jamal before his three children until he collapsed.

Jamal’s wife Thaslima rushed him to hospital with the help of neighbours, but doctors declared him brought dead. Thaslima later filed a complaint with the Begur police.

The gang fled the city to their native places, and the police have gathered details of the accused and their movements in an effort to capture them.