A Pakistani taxi driver’s honesty in Dubai has made him a hero as he returned a purse full of cash and valuable documents to an Indian girl, who had forgotten the articles in his cab’s backseat, Gulf News reported.
According to the UAE publication, Raechel Rose, a law student at Lancaster University, was on her way to attend a friend’s birthday party on January 4 when she left the wallet in Modassar Khadim‘s cab.
How Mudassar Khadim, a Pakistani living in Dubai not just became our pride but also won hearts of the Indians is a lesson for all of us… #AmazingPakistanis pic.twitter.com/D3OOU5MY1d
— Shiffa Z. Yousafzai (@Shiffa_ZY) January 13, 2020
“She had got into his taxi with another friend near Burjuman around 7.30 pm on January 4,” her mother, Sindhu Biju, told Gulf News. “Just then, they saw their other friends in another car and decided to join them. They immediately left the taxi and Rose didn’t realize that she left her wallet behind.”
When I reached the police station, I met another taxi driver who advised me to try to get the girl’s number and give it as the procedures might take a long time
A few minutes later, Rose noticed that her purse was missing. The purse had her UK student visa, her Emirates ID, UAE driving license, health insurance card, credit card and more than 1,000 Dirhams in various currencies.
Rose, as per her mother, soon started panicking as her return flight to Manchester was scheduled for three days later, and she could not afford to delay it as she had an exam on January 13.
“She did not have a copy of the visa. When she called the university, she was told she might have to apply for a visa again. Though she was in tears, she rushed to the police station to report the matter,” said Sindhu.
https://twitter.com/aqayyum22/status/1216593530178670593
Rose also called her father, Biju Ittira, to the station who later took her to the mall to check the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage.
The family was able to retrieve the CCTV footage with the help of the police. However, in the footage, they could not see the car’s number plate properly.
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“Since they had not started the journey, the driver had not started the meter. Hence, it was difficult to trace the driver through the RTA (Roads and Transport Authority) call center,” said Sindhu.
Meanwhile, Khadim noticed the wallet on the front seat after he had finished two other trips.
“Since the family, who came next, said it was not theirs, I opened it to check if there is any contact number. I could only see all the cards and the cash,” said Khadim
Khadim called up RTA’s call center and asked for their assistance. “I thought it will be easier for them to find the license holder. But it was around 10 pm,” said Khadim.
Raechel Rose, who flew to #Manchester on January 8, had lost the wallet in Modassar Khadim's cab on January 4. #Dubai https://t.co/DRQIQPk3gK
— DT Next (@dt_next) January 13, 2020
After Khadim was told that another department would reach out to him, he decided to report the lost wallet to the police.
“When I reached the police station, I met another taxi driver who advised me to try to get the girl’s number and give it as the procedures might take a long time,” said Khadim.
Khadim then tried to get Rose’s contact through her mobile service provider and the insurance company. However, his efforts went in vain as privacy clauses barred the company from sharing the information with him.
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“Finally, the RTA call center called me back when I was finishing my duty at 3.30 am and verified the details that matched with their complaint. I was given their number following which I went to their house to drop the wallet,” shared Khadim.
After handing over the purse, Rose’s father rewarded Khadim with 600 dirhams. He initially refused the offer but accepted it upon the family’s insistence.
Later, Rose’s family also wrote a letter to RTA in appreciation of Khadim’s honesty and help.