Sanitation worker hands over Rs 45 lakh gold jewellery found in T Nagar

A woman sanitation worker of the Greater Chennai Corporation earned widespread appreciation for her honesty after handing over a bag containing gold jewellery weighing about 45 sovereigns, valued at nearly Rs 45 lakh, which she found on a road in Thyagaraya Nagar. The incident took place on Sunday when Padma, a woman cleaner employed by the Chennai Corporation, was engaged in routine garbage clearance work at Muppathamman Koil Street near Vandikkaran Road in Thyagaraya Nagar. During the course of her work, she noticed a plastic cover lying unattended on the roadside.
Suspecting something unusual, Padma opened the cover and was shocked to find a large quantity of gold jewellery inside. Without hesitation, she took the bag to the Pondy Bazaar Police Station and handed it over to the police.
Police officials who examined the contents found that the bag contained gold ornaments weighing around 45 sovereigns. Based on the value of the jewellery, it was estimated to be worth approximately Rs 45 lakh. Following this, the police initiated an inquiry to trace the rightful owner.
During the investigation, it came to light that a man named Ramesh, a resident of Nanganallur, had earlier lodged a complaint at the Pondy Bazaar Police Station reporting the loss of gold jewellery weighing about 45 sovereigns. Ramesh, who is engaged in the business of buying and selling old jewellery, was called to the police station for verification.
During questioning, Ramesh told the police that he had visited Thyagaraya Nagar the previous evening to meet a friend. He had kept the jewellery bag near a roadside pushcart and had inadvertently forgotten to pick it up before leaving the place. After verifying the ownership through documents and confirming the jewellery details, the police handed over the recovered gold ornaments to Ramesh. The Pondy Bazaar police officials commended Padma for her honesty and integrity, stating that her action stood as a commendable example of civic responsibility and personal values.