West Bengal: Beggar dies, leaves behind over Rs 1 lakh cash – Times of India

MALDA: Two years ago, the nation was stunned when Mumbai Police stumbled on Rs 1. 8 lakh stashed away in beggar Birbhichand Azad’s shanty after he died in an accident. It took officials eight hours to count all the coins kept in a gunny bag. That memory was revisited in Islampur, North Dinajpur, last Wednesday when Kanika Mahanta died of natural causes.
Kanika, 40, too begged for a living like Azad. In fact, her aged mother and siblings Manika and Bablu do the same. Her neighbours in Islampur’s Loknath Colony, who helped her family cremate her, were not expecting to find gunny bags and trunks stashed with coins and currency notes in her room.
“We entered her room only yesterday (Tuesday) because her mother and sister asked that we fetch some of her belongings for her last rites. We were stunned to see so much cash,” said Nikhil Das, one of their neighbours.
Police were informed and counting of the money — mostly Rs 5 and Rs 10 coins and notes, and Rs 20 notes — began. By the end of the day, the official figure was Rs 1. 07 lakh. “There are more coins and notes to be counted. Since everyone was busy with civic election results, counting of the money will resume after two days. Till then, the room has been locked,” Das said.
Bablu, who lives in another shanty, said the family had no idea how much Kanika had saved over the years. “Had we known, we could have used the money both for Kanika’s treatment and on our ailing mother,” he added.
Haradhan Sen, an elderly neighbour, said it had been decided that a part of the cash would be spent on Kanika’s last rites. “The rest will be put in a bank in the name of her mother and sister,” Sen said.