Residents of Mandya in Karnataka, India, were thrown into utter disbelief on Sunday after bundles of currency notes and thousands of coins worth lakhs of rupees were uncovered inside the modest residence of a deceased 69-year-old beggar.
The deceased, identified as Noorunnisa (also locally known as Noor or Hoor), passed away quietly after spending more than four decades begging along local traffic corridors and outside neighbourhood worship centres.
The shocking discovery was made shortly after neighbours raised an alarm on Sunday, August 23, having noticed that the elderly woman had not stepped out of her house for several days.
Upon forcing their way inside the premises, relatives and neighbours discovered her lifeless body.
Locked room uncovers decades of hidden savings
The discovery of the money occurred while family members were cleaning out the deceased woman’s residence. Relatives broke open the lock to a private room that Noorunnisa had strictly guarded for several decades, refusing entry to both friends and family members alike.
Inside the sealed room, searchers found over 30 sacks crammed with coins alongside bank notes in denominations of Rs 10, Rs 20, and Rs 50.
Addressing the public speculation following viral social media rumours claiming the cash hoard exceeded Rs 1 crore, officials of the local mosque where the cash was temporarily deposited for counting clarified the true total.
“The family entrusted us with the money. The counting was conducted strictly in front of the family members, and the total came to Rs 8.4 lakh,” stated Mukthar Ahmed, vice-president of the local mosque. “We have handed the entire amount back to the family.”
Family speaks on deceased’s reclusive lifestyle
Relatives of the late Noorunnisa expressed overwhelming shock at the massive sum, explaining that she had kept her personal affairs entirely secret.
According to her nephew, Fairoz Ahmed, the family regularly tried to persuade her to abandon begging and supported her basic needs, entirely unaware of the fortune she was accumulating inside her locked room.
“We visited her occasionally to give her food and help her bathe,” Ahmed said. “However, we were completely unaware of the money she had accumulated. The room where the cash was found was always kept locked. She never allowed anyone inside and would only speak to us while standing at the door.”
He added that Noorunnisa, one of six siblings, had lived alone since the passing of her unmarried sister two years ago and suffered from long-term mental illness.
Residents in the area recalled seeing her daily on the streets or outside the local mosque on Fridays accepting alms from passersby. Many expressed surprise, noting that she had long been perceived as a destitute figure in the community.
The family has confirmed that the entire sum of Rs 8.4 lakh will be distributed among her needy relatives.
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