Koraput: The family members of an old man have recovered Rs 32,000, which was kept hidden by him under a mango tree in their backyard, after his demise in Odisha’s Koraput district.
According to sources, Sitaram Meleka of Kelubadi village under Narayanpatna block of the district, used to earn his livelihood by working as a daily labourer. He was peacefully raising his family comprising his wife Sami, three sons and a daughter with his meagre income.
Over the time, Sitaram’s children got engaged in their respective professions. He married them off and left his house for them to stay with his wife in a cottage, around 3 km from the village.
Sitaram and Sami used to cultivate crops in the nearby hill and lead their own lives. He was also getting the old age pension.
On Monday morning, he felt uneasy and told Sami to call the children as his end was imminent and he wanted to see them before his death. After the children came to the cottage, Sitaram told them that he had kept Rs 1.10 lakh and gold ornaments weighing around 11 gram buried under the mango tree in the backyard. Then he passed away.
After completing Sitaram’s last rites, his three sons along with some relatives dug up the area around the tree. They found Rs 32,000 in denominations of Rs 500, old and new Rs 100, Rs 20 and Rs 10 from a pit. But most of the currency notes had been damaged over the years.
Hoping that the rest amount might be kept hidden under the soil, they dug up a large area in the backyard but failed to get cash or ornaments, the sources said.
