In a curious case, nearly Rs. 3 lakh worth cash was recovered from the shanty of an elderly woman beggar, living in pathetic conditions in the border town of Nowshera in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The beggar, whose identity is not known to local residents, has been living in a shanty near veterinary hospital Nowshera for the last 15 years. As she is living in the middle of town in ward number 2, people usually give her coins, notes of the small denomination, and provide food to save her from starvation.

Rs three lakhs recovered from shanty of an aged woman beggar in J&K's Nowshera town in Rajouri district
Rs three lakhs recovered from shanty of an aged woman beggar in J&K's Nowshera town in Rajouri districtsocial media

Amid the spread of the virus, authorities shift her to old-age-home

Keeping in view the spread of deadly Coronavirus, the district administration of Rajouri has decided to shift all elderly beggars, living on the roadsides, to the old-age-home to protect them from getting infected. On Monday evening, a team of the Social Welfare Department shifted her to an old-age-home at Rajouri.

Currency notes, coins recovered while removing her shanty

After shifting the old woman to old-age-home, a team was deputed to remove her shanty from the roadside. While collecting polythene bags from the slum, employees of the municipality were shocked to see that every polythene bag was full of currency notes. Furthermore, an iron box was found full of coins. Employees immediately informed their seniors. Local municipal councilors along with officers of the local bodies reached the spot. 

Locals counting money recovered from beggar's shanty
Locals counting money recovered from beggar's shantysocial media

Locals count money in the presence of Tehsildar, SHO

As almost all polythene bags were filled with currency notes, Tehsildar and local SHO also reached the spot to monitor the counting of the money. Reports said that amount worth Rs 3 lakh has been recovered from the shanty of the woman. Authorities have promptly handed over the amount to the woman at the old-age-home.

Eyewitnesses said that some currency notes crammed in small polythene bags got rotten as the woman, appears to have kept this money for long.