Govt bus conductor returns passenger’s lost bag with Rs 60K

Kolkata: A conductor of a government bus displayed rare honesty by returning a bag containing Rs 60,000 that had been accidentally left behind by a passenger travelling from the airport.

The passenger, a resident of Burdwan, had arrived in Kolkata on Monday afternoon after undergoing treatment in Chennai. Accompanied by his son, he boarded a Garia-bound AC-37C bus operated by the WBTC from the airport bus stand.

They got down near Gate No. 2 of the airport but soon realised that a small black-and-orange backpack containing the cash had been left on the bus seat. The passenger returned to the airport bus stand and informed the official in charge, Sujit Mallick, who checked the bus details and contacted the conductor.

The conductor, Arunava Sarkar, traced the bag and kept it safely as the bus continued its journey towards Garia.

After completing the trip, the bus returned to the airport terminal in the evening, where the passenger and his son collected the bag from Sarkar.

Sarkar, a contractual employee engaged through an agency by WBTC, has been working as a conductor for seven years. Regular passengers and others present praised Sarkar for returning the money.