Beed: In a display of remarkable courage and presence of mind, a woman bus conductor chased down a suspected thief and recovered an elderly woman's stolen gold ornaments weighing about one tola at the Mirajgaon bus stand on Saturday evening.
The conductor, Alisha Bagwan, attached to the Ashti depot of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), was on duty on a Kada-Mirajgaon route bus.
According to officials, an elderly woman from Takli Amia village in Ashti tehsil had kept her gold ornaments inside her handbag because of the heavy rush on the bus.
Taking advantage of the crowd, an unidentified woman allegedly snatched the handbag containing the jewellery and fled from the bus. As the elderly woman raised an alarm, Bagwan reacted immediately. She jumped off the bus, chased the suspect on foot, and caught her nearby.
Bagwan recovered the handbag intact and returned the gold ornaments to the elderly woman.
Overcome with emotion, the woman embraced the conductor and said, "My child, you came into my life as a godsend today."
Passengers, local commuters, and MSRTC officials praised Bagwan's alertness and bravery, saying her timely action prevented the victim from losing her valuables.
