Coffee shop owner returns bag with cash, passports, other documents to Russian trekkers

CHIKKAMAGALUR: A group of three Russian tourists were overjoyed when a coffee shop owner at Magundi village in N R Pura taluk returned their bag with about Rs 3.5 lakh in cash, laptop, passports and other important documents.

One of the tourists even offered the cash to the tea stall owner Avinash, who refused it. The Russian hugged Avinash and cheered, “I love India, I love Indians”, and the trio later proceeded for their trek at Kudremukh.

The coffee shop where the Russians had left behind their bag.

The three Russian tourists had stopped for a break at Avinash’s Sridevi Coffee Shop at Magundi village and spend about half an hour on Tuesday. While leaving, one of them left behind a bag on a sofa containing the cash, laptop, passports and other valuables.

On noticing the bag about half an hour later, Avinash waited for some time thinking that they would return for the bag. When they did not, he called his autorickshaw driver friend Hamid in Kalasa who, in turn, contacted his friends in Samse and Balehole. The Russian tourists were intercepted by locals and sent back to retrieve their bag.

Avinash, the owner of the coffee shop.

“When I saw the passports in the bag, I realised they would need it for their travels. I immediately contacted Hamid and told him that the foreigners were headed towards Kudremukh. They were very happy to get back their belongings and even offered me a reward, which I refused as I wasn’t expecting anything. I’m happy that they were happy”, Avinash said.