Odisha woman returns bag with Rs 60,000 cash and valuables to police

By Akshya Rout

Bhadrak, July 13: In a remarkable act of honesty, a woman in Odisha’s Bhadrak district handed over a bag containing a large amount of cash and valuables to the police after finding it abandoned at a bus stand.

The incident came to light at Bhadrak Town Police Station. The woman, identified as Shubhasmita Jena, an employee of Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), had reportedly gone to Jajpur to attend her friend’s wedding.

While waiting at the Jajpur bus stand, Shubhasmita noticed that someone had left a bag behind and walked away. She picked up the bag and made efforts to locate its owner by asking people nearby, but no one came forward to claim it.

As it was time for her bus to return, Shubhasmita had to leave the spot with the bag. After reaching Bhadrak, she went to Bhadrak Town Police Station along with her father and handed over the bag to the authorities.

During verification, police found that the bag contained more than Rs 60,000 in cash, along with a silver anklet and a bunch of keys.

The woman’s act of returning the valuable belongings has been widely appreciated as an example of honesty and social responsibility.

“The blue-coloured bag contained cash and a bunch of keys. It was a new place for me, and I did not know anyone there. I waited there for nearly three hours, hoping that someone would come forward to claim the bag. As there were no transport facilities available, I handed over the bag to Bhadrak Town Police Station,” said Shubhasmita Jena.

No one had come forward to claim the bag or the cash and other valuables found in it till the filing of this report.