Bhubaneswar: An auto-rickshaw driver in Bhubaneswar has been widely praised for returning gold jewellery worth around Rs 3 lakh that a passenger had accidentally left behind in his vehicle.
The incident occurred on Saturday when Suchismita Dey, a teacher from Balasore, arrived in Bhubaneswar for wedding-related shopping. In her haste after alighting near Patia, she forgot her bag, containing valuable gold ornaments and a suitcase, in the auto driven by Santosh Sahu.
He found the unattended items shortly after
. Rather than being tempted by the substantial value, he meticulously searched the bag for clues and found a purchase bill that included contact details. He promptly reached out to Dey and, to ensure complete transparency and security, arranged to hand over the belongings at Maitri Vihar police station.
“I called the owner of the goods after finding the valuables in my auto. I contacted the police and am happy the passenger got them back. I work hard for my livelihood and cannot take anything that does not belong to me,” Sahu said.
Dey, visibly relieved upon recovering her possessions, expressed profound gratitude. “I was distraught after losing my jewellery, where gold is expensive. It is his greatness that he returned these. I am happy to know that such honest people exist,” she remarked.
Maitri Vihar police station IIC Ravi Narayan Behera lauded Sahu’s conduct. He was felicitated on the spot.