A 24-year-old taxi driver is making headlines for all the right reasons.
At 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Debendra Kapri, who drives a prepaid black-and-yellow taxi stationed at the IGI Airport, picked up a passenger and dropped him in Paharganj.
However, the passenger, who was later identified as Mubashir Ahmed Wani, forgot his bag in the taxi. Debendra, who spotted the bag soon after, submitted it at the Domestic Airport Police Station to ensure it was returned to its owner. Not once did he check the contents of the bag. “I was rolling up the window of the back seat when I saw the bag. The passenger was gone by then. I didn’t see what the bag contained, but it looked important,” said Debendra.
Thankful, says driver
The taxi driver, who hails from Bihar and earns between ₹7,000 and ₹10,000 a month, later found out that the bag contained items worth ₹8 lakh. It had a phone, laptop, camera, ₹70,000 cash, gold and silver jewellery, and documents. “I am thankful that the bag reached the man,” he added.
Mr. Wani, who had come to Delhi from Srinagar, told The Hindu that he appreciated what the taxi driver had done. He even gave Debendra a reward, which he chose not to disclose. “I am really thankful. He could easily have kept the bag,” he said.
Mr. Wani added that when the police called him, he was already at the airport.
‘It is remarkable’
“When I realised I had lost my bag, I went back to the taxi stand and showed them the voucher. They gave me the driver’s number, but the police had called me by then. The system at the stand and police station was remarkable,” he said.
Praise for prompt cop
Ultimately, it was a diary with Mr. Wani’s contacts that helped the police. Sub-Inspector Satyaveer managed to get through to Mr. Wani’s brother in Srinagar, who gave the police his number.
DCP (IGI) Sanjay Bhatia said that the driver had set an example. “Other taxi drivers should be like him. SI Satyaveer also took prompt action and both of them have earned immense respect,” said DCP Bhatia.
His face lit up with a smile, Debendra, who doesn’t own a smartphone, asked The Hindu , “Will I be able to show a paper clipping to my parents?
