FARIDABAD, February 20, 2026 — A local scrap dealer, Haji Akhtar Khan, has earned widespread praise for returning gold ornaments worth 15 lakh rupees to a family that had mistakenly discarded them. The jewellery was returned to Ashok Sharma four months after it was sold alongside household scrap in a Diwali cleaning mishap.
The recovery occurred after Khan discovered the gold wrapped in paper while sorting through accumulated junk. He stated that he immediately sought to verify the metal’s authenticity before contacting the authorities to locate the rightful owner.
“I felt it was my responsibility to return it,” Khan affirmed. He stated that he remembered Sharma’s earlier visit to his shop in search of the lost box and decided to do the right thing once the items were found. Khan declared that his family encouraged him to report the find to the police.
According to police officials, the Sharma family had hidden the gold in a sack as a security measure before traveling. During a subsequent house cleaning, the sack was sold as scrap. Sharma maintained that the family was devastated when they first realized the mistake, as the jewellery could not be located at the shop during their initial inquiry.
ACP Jitesh Malhotra, who overseen the handover, stated that the dealer’s actions were commendable. He affirmed that this incident serves as a reminder of the enduring nature of honesty. The police official declared that the return of the 100 grams of gold marks a significant act of civic duty.
