Teacher's Family Recovers Rs. 4 Lakh Gold Chain After 10-Hour Search in Bengaluru's Mobile Tank

Bengaluru: A teacher’s family in west Bengaluru had a stroke of luck after a night-long search led to the recovery of a 60-gram gold chain worth Rs 4 lakh, which had accidentally been immersed along with a Ganesha idol in a mobile immersion tank at Dasarahalli Circle, Vijayanagar. The chain was found after nearly 10 hours of intensive searching, involving the removal of almost 10,000 liters of water and sifting through thick clay from 300 dissolved idols.

The incident occurred late on Saturday night when Ramaiah and his wife Umadevi, both teachers from Machohalli Cross near Govindarajanagar, took their Ganesha idol for immersion. The idol had been adorned with flowers and a long gold chain. The family accidentally immersed the idol with the gold chain still on it around 9.15 p.m. It was only after returning home at 10 p.m. that they realized the chain was missing.

In a state of panic, the couple rushed back to the mobile tank by 10.30 p.m. and enquired with the young volunteers overseeing the immersion process. "The boys told us they noticed the chain on the idol, thought it was an artificial one, and immersed the idol along with the chain," Umadevi explained.

Desperate to retrieve the precious ornament, the family informed the Magadi Road police and contacted Govindarajanagar MLA Priya Krishna for help. Krishna immediately reached out to Lankesh D, the contractor responsible for managing the mobile tank, instructing him to recover the chain and return it to the family.

Despite the late hour, the family, with the volunteers’ permission, began draining water from the tank and searching the thick clay formed from the dissolved idols until 5 a.m. Sunday, though they were unable to find the chain and left the site, disheartened.

However, Lankesh did not give up. "Since the MLA instructed me to find the chain, I returned to the tank in the morning and called at least 10 people to help search for the chain," Lankesh told Leading Daily. From 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Lankesh and two other volunteers sifted through the clay and waterlogged debris, finally locating the missing gold chain.

The youths promptly informed Ramaiah and Umadevi and returned the gold chain by 1 p.m. Sunday. "We contacted Umadevi and Ramaiah and returned the chain after taking photos of the handover. We also informed the police and the MLA," Lankesh added.

The family expressed immense relief and gratitude to the volunteers, the police, and MLA Priya Krishna for their quick and dedicated efforts in recovering the valuable chain.

The incident serves as a reminder of the care needed during festive celebrations, where such small oversights can lead to high-stakes situations.