COIMBATORE: A simple act of humanity by a TNSTC bus conductor from Coimbatore turned despair into relief for a couple from Panruti as he safeguarded their handbag containing Rs 45,000, their daughter’s hostel fee, which they left behind on a crowded city bus.
R Balamurugan from Panruti in Cuddalore district and his wife Kodeeswari visited Coimbatore to pay the hostel fee for their daughter, a first-year undergraduate student at a private college near SITRA on Avinashi Road.
Balamurugan, a typist at a private firm in Cuddalore, told TNIE that at around 8 am on Friday, he and his wife boarded corporation town bus 20A at Gandhipuram.
"As the bus was crowded, my wife handed her handbag, which contained Rs 45,000 in cash, her switched-off mobile phone, house keys, Aadhaar and other important documents to a college student for safekeeping. The student kept the bag with her. However, when we got down at the Aravind Eye Hospital bus stop, we forgot to collect the handbag," he said.
"About five minutes after we got off the bus, we realized we had left the bag on the bus. We were shocked and did not know what to do next. I called the TNSTC helpline and later spoke to the depot manager at Karumathampatti, who said it could be collected from the time office at Gandhipuram bus stand. Upon hearing that, we were relieved as we were worried about paying the hostel fee we had been saving up for," he recalled.
He praised the bus conductor, R Karunanidhi, for his noble act. “As soon as the conductor got the handbag, he informed the branch manager and the officers at the time office, asking them to inform the owners that their belongings were safe, if contacted.”
He thanked Karunanidhi for his timely help and said he was then able to pay his daughter’s hostel fee.
Karunanidhi told TNIE that a college student on the bus informed him that a couple had left their handbag behind.
"After receiving the handbag, I contacted the officials at the depot and the time office around 9.15 am. When the couple contacted the transport authorities, they were asked to collect their belongings from the time office. After the bus driven by Dhanapal reached Gandhipuram bus stand, we handed over the handbag to the couple and they were extremely happy," he said.
Transport officials and fellow bus crew praised Karunanidhi for his display of compassion and humanity.