For Jayalakshmi, September 25, 2017, would be an unforgettable day in her life.
The 32-year-old woman had left home, along with her relatives, at K. Pudur in an auto-rickshaw to Meenakshi Mission Hospital as her 89-year-old father was admitted for a surgery in the cardiology department.
Having paid ₹25,000 as advance, the woman had pledged her jewels and brought the balance ₹79,000 for the surgery. As they alighted from the auto-rickshaw at the hospital, the vehicle left.
Only after some 10 minutes, the woman realised that she had left the cash bag in the auto-rickshaw. Shocked and confused, she ran to the security personnel at the gate only to find that the auto-rickshaw was not there. On the advice of the hospital staff, Jayalakshmi did not waste even a minute.
She approached the nearest police check-post on the Madurai-Melur road near the integrated bus stand and narrated the tale of missing the bag to a policeman John Paul. In no time, he alerted the police control room and the K. Pudur police Sub-Inspector Pandi. Simultaneously, the policeman had also contacted the two-wheeler patrol police in the vicinity.
In no time, a team from the Pudur station rushed to the hospital and checked the CCTV footage and spotted the auto-rickshaw. Noting down some of the identification marks of the vehicle, the police team led by Mr. Pandi got in touch with the auto stands in Maatuthavani and Pudur areas.
Even as time was running out, when Ms. Jayalakshmi, who was already nervous as her relatives were shouting at her for being careless, good news came from Mr. Pandi who returned with the cash bag, got from the auto driver Vairamuthu.
The money was intact and not a rupee went missing, she said with folded hands.
While the police heaved a sigh of relief, Commissioner of Police Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal appreciated the team and appealed to the people to be more careful while moving in public places to check their belongings.
The auto stand office-bearer Nagoor Hanifa at Pudur, Traffic SI Badusha Mohideen and others were rewarded for the commendable work.
