KARAIKAL: Sanitation workers in Karaikal were applauded for their honesty after recovering missing gold jewellery valued at `1 lakh within an hour of the owner lodging a complaint. The jewellery was accidentally dumped into a waste segregation box by a woman in Kovilpathu on Sunday.According to sources, the woman, Meerabhai, is a resident of South Street of Kovilpathu in the district. She had dropped the jewellery into a bin brought by sweepers in the morning. Speaking to media persons, she said, “After washing my chain and ring, I put them in a plastic bag near the kitchen sink.
When the waste collectors came around 10 am, I collected all the garbage at home and unknowingly also picked up the bag and handed them over to the workers. After searching for the jewellery at home for half an hour, I could not find them. I later realised that I it was inside the garbage bag. I lodged a complaint with Karaikal Town police station who alerted the district administration.”
Meerabhai said, “To my good fortune, the district administration reacted quickly and informed workers at the Karaikal district dump site. The workers searched for the jewellery and recovered them around noon and then handed them over to me.”Collector R Kesavan said, “Meerabhai contacted the local policewoman from the police station, who then contacted us. Our Kovilpathu ward team checked the waste and found the jewellery inside the bag. They were handed over in the presence of the police woman. Meerabhai greatly appreciated their honesty.”