Chennai: Among auto drivers who are known for fleecing passengers, there are a few honest to goodness drivers in society.
Fifty-year-old auto driver Devaraj, a resident of Triplicane, returned valuable documents absent-mindedly left behind by social activist Kadayam Shardlow Ramasamy in the vehicle on 10 November.
Ramasamy, a resident of Vaigai Colony, Ashok Nagar went to his relatives house at LIoyds Road, Royapettah, last Saturday, collected an original land document and took an auto and reached his house around 2.30 pm.
“I had to pay Rs 130 for the auto. I had only Rs 100. I asked the driver to wait, went inside the house, brought Rs 30 and paid him. Then, I, went back home. I was busy on the day, as I had to attend the reception of my sister’s grandson. All went well. On Sunday morning, when I looked for the document, it was missing. I asked my wife whether she saw it. She said no. Only then I realised that I had left it in auto,” said Ramasamy.
“I had no clue about the vehicle as I did not note down the number. So, I informed Ashok Nagar and Saidapet Traffic Inspectors Mahendran and Sugumaran over phone. As Mahendran was on special duty for the cricket match, Sugumaran came to my house. He collected all the details and my wife said why don’t we see the CCTV camera fixed on the building facing the road. As it was Sunday (11 November), Sugumaran said let’s wait till Monday and left,” the social activist said.
But to his surprise, around 4.30 pm on Sunday, a man in khaki dress came knocking on his door. Ramasamy opened the door and could not recognise the man. But on seeing the yellow cloth bag, he realised it was the auto driver. He called him inside the house and thanked him for coming all the way from Triplicane to hand over the documents.
According to driver Devaraj, he returned home on Saturday and parked the vehicle. On Sunday morning, he saw the document in the vehicle. He took it to his house and asked his daughter to go through it and find the address. He then came to Ashok Nagar to hand it over to Ramasamy.
It is said Devaraj has been driving auto for the last 10 years. Earlier, he handed over a cash bag left in his auto by a customer at her house in Santhome.
Ramasamy can be reached at 94449 05517.