Hanif Aziz Baghban, 34, of Jalgaon in Maharashtra displays remarkable honesty and integrity
Team Clarion
JALGAON – In a remarkable display of honesty and integrity, 34-year-old Hanif Aziz Baghban, a fruit seller from Tambapura area of the Maharashtra city of Jalgaon, returned a bag full of cash and important documents that he found on the road to its rightful owner. The bag owner, Jitendra Jain, was immensely grateful for Hanif’s righteousness and purity of mind.
Hanif, who lives near Shah Auliya Mosque in Tambapura, stumbled upon the bag while returning home from his fruit stall in the Khwaja Mian Dargah area. “Yesterday, after finishing my business, I was heading home around 9 pm when I saw the bag on the road,” Hanif recounted. Inside the bag, he found a large sum of money along with Aadhaar, PAN card, driving license, and other important items.
Despite his limited resources, Hanif made determined efforts to locate the owner. “I stayed there for a while hoping someone would come looking for it, but no one did. When I got home, I told my wife Samia about the bag. Upon searching it again, she found a visiting card with a phone number,” he said. The card belonged to Jitendra Jain.
Upon contacting Jain, Hanif learned that the bag indeed belonged to him. Jain explained that his parents were admitted to the hospital, and he lost the bag while rushing to attend to some urgent work. “I was so worried. I had almost lost hope of finding it,” Jain said with visible relief.
Hanif arranged to meet Jain at Shaheed Abdul Hameed Chowk in Tambapura. Jain, accompanied by his mother, arrived at the location and verified the bag by its contents. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Jain said, “When Hanif handed me my bag, I couldn’t hold back my tears. I had been searching the city frantically. His phone call was a huge relief.”
In response to whether he received any reward for his honesty, Hanif humbly replied: “I did not do it hoping for a favour. Our elders have always taught us to return lost belongings to their rightful owners.”
Jain expressed his heartfelt appreciation for Hanif’s actions, acknowledging his trustworthiness and the positive example he has set for the community. The incident not only restored faith in humanity but also highlighted the values of honesty and integrity upheld by ordinary citizens like Hanif Baghban.
