Honesty shines bright in Faridabad: Painter returns precious religious artefacts

God intended to bestow wealth upon him, yet he opted to embrace the path of honesty. A painter living at Jawahar colony in Faridabad Haryana decided to return a gold umbrella and some silver umbrellas to the police after he found them in a cupboard purchased by a scrap dealer from Vaishno Devi Temple and given to him for painting.

Faridabad (Haryana): God wanted to give him money but he chose to become an honest human being instead. In a rare display of honesty, a small-time painter residing in Jawahar Colony, Faridabad, Haryana, made the conscientious decision to return a gold umbrella and several silver ones to the authorities. These valuable items had come into his possession when a scrap dealer procured a cupboard from Vaishno Devi Temple, subsequently entrusting it to the painter for refurbishment.

The remarkable incident unfolded in Faridabad district, Haryana, that reaffirms the enduring values of integrity and respect for religious sentiment. Ram Avtaar, a skilled painter residing in Jawahar Colony, proved that honesty still prevails in society when he uncovered and returned precious religious artefacts accidentally discovered while repairing a cupboard.

The story began when Sonu Kabadi, a scrap dealer and fellow resident of Jawahar Colony, entrusted Ram Avtaar with two iron cupboards in need of repair. Ram diligently restored one cupboard and returned it to Sonu. However, when he proceeded to work on the second cupboard, he stumbled upon an unexpected treasure – a small gold umbrella belonging to Mata Rani, along with several smaller umbrellas made of 3 kilograms of silver.

Surprised and deeply respectful of the religious significance of these artefacts, Ram Avtaar approached Sonu Kabadi to inquire about their origin. Sonu revealed that he had acquired the cupboard, housing these invaluable items, from scrap sourced from the renowned Maharani Vaishno Devi Temple, located at number 2.

Overwhelmed with a sense of responsibility and reverence for the religious pieces, Ram Avtaar felt compelled to return them to their rightful place. However, the fear of being wrongly accused of theft loomed large in his mind. To navigate this delicate situation, he sought the guidance of Shyam Banga, the head of the trade association in the number 1 market, a trusted acquaintance.

Banga wasted no time and promptly reported the extraordinary situation to Ranbir, the in-charge of the local police station. After a thorough investigation and a series of interviews with Ram Avtaar, Sonu Kabadi, and Jagdish Bhatia, the head of the temple committee, the police were convinced of the genuine nature of the discovery.

Subsequently, the precious silver Chhatars were returned to the temple committee under the supervision of the local authorities, marking a triumphant conclusion to this inspiring tale of honesty and integrity.

In recognition of Ram Avtaar's exemplary act of honesty, the Market Committee honoured him with Mata Rani's Chunari and a statue of the deity. The head of the temple committee expressing heartfelt gratitude to the police, said, “I thank the police and of course Ram Avtar for his honesty”.