This archive report was first published on 9 October 2019.
On October 9, 2019, a remarkable discovery was made by the police in Mumbai, India, after an 82-year-old beggar died in a train accident at Vashi.
The deceased, who spent years begging around train stations, had a surprising secret life. According to the Railway police inspector Nandkishor Saste, the man lived with his two sons before they moved in search of better living.
After receiving the report of the death of a beggar found dead by the railway tracks, the police started a routine investigation. To their surprise, they found a sack full of coins, certificates of fixed deposits, and bank savings accounts totaling Ksh.1.027 million.
It took police nearly eight hours to count the coins, which they found at the beggar's single room house. The discovery sparked suspicion, and five people called in claiming to be Azad's sons. However, the police expressed that they would verify the documents of those claimants.
