Honest attendant returns gold chain found at Mumbai airport

Omkar Shinde saw the gold chain while cleaning the washroom premises he was felicitated by CSMIA for returning it

A gold chain found lying next to the washbasin in the East Side gents washroom at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) on Thursday, was returned to its rightful owner within hours, thanks to an honest, 25-year-old attendant, Omkar Shinde.

Speaking to mid-day, Shinde, a resident of Ghatkopar, who has been working at the airport for the past four years, said, "I noticed the chain while I was cleaning the washroom premises around 6.05 pm on Thursday. It was lying next to the wash basin…maybe it fell off someone's neck or hand. The first thing I did was barricaded the area where it was found and took pictures as is protocol. I then blocked half the bathroom and kept the other half functional so that passengers are not affected, and called the supervisor who then called CISF authorities who took me to deposit the gold chain with the lost and found section."

The chain was manually checked by CISF staff BN Dhanraj and returned to its rightful owner who was tracked the very same day. "Our priority is the well-being and safety of all our passengers at CSMIA as part of my job. Being able to find and return a passenger's valuable item is the best recognition of my job," said Shinde.

A CSMIA spokesperson said, "At CSMIA we are committed to prioritise the safety and well-being of each of our passengers, at all times. Omkar Shinde's commitment and dedication instills our faith in the inherent goodness of humanity. Heroes like Omkar make CSMIA a Gateway To Goodness. CSMIA believes in encouraging and nurturing teams to be able to translate their passion and the organisation's philosophy into reality. Every small or large accomplishment by our teams is acknowledged and rewarded. CSMIA felicitated Omkar Shinde in the presence of his team and fellow colleagues. Moreover, his example of going the extra mile was shared with other departments, to further feel inspired and continue to focus on passengers and creating cherished memories for them."