Pradeep Pattanayak

Appreciation is pouring in for Md. Rizban, who works as a grease mechanic at a garage near Shankara bypass in Sundargarh district, after he turned a Good Samaritan by returning a cash-full money purse to its original owner. 

A native of Masjid Pada near Regent Market, Rizban, like any other day, left for his house after signing off duty at the garage in the evening hours on Wednesday. On his way home, he always stops by at a tea stall for a steaming cup. That evening was no different. After finishing the cup, he headed home. On the way, a purse like object lying on the road caught his attention. He stopped and picked it up. 

“It was a money purse with cash of around Rs 13,000, four ATM cards and some documents inside. The thought of keeping the money and throwing away the purse came to my mind immediately. However, the next moment, the situation of the owner after losing the wallet flashed through my mind. It was then I decided to return the purse to its rightful owner,” said Rizban. 

He then started wondering how he would return the purse to the owner. He found some pieces of paper including a shopping mall bill in the purse. “Luckily, a phone number was printed on the bill,” he recalled.  

Assuming the number to be that of the owner, he gave it a try. And the call was picked up none other than Nihal Agrawal, the owner of the purse, who is a resident of Sasan area in Sambalpur town. 

“Upon reaching home, I realized that I had lost my purse somewhere. I searched for it at every possible place but could not find. I was under severe mental pressure just when my phone rang. I received the call and the man on the other end introduced himself as Md. Rizban and he informed that he had found my purse. I lost no time, went to him and collected the purse not before thanking him for his honesty and generosity,” Nihal said. 

It has since been discussed in the locality that despite the pandemic which left people impoverished, there are people who still remain honest and true to their salt.
 

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