Eagle snatches purse, US man swoops in

SHAHJAHANPUR: On a sunny Thursday afternoon in February, Noorjahan, a

daily wage labourer

in Shahjahanpur, stepped out of the bank with Rs 20,000 in her purse and thoughts of her daughter's impending wedding in her head. But in one sudden swoop, an eagle brushed past her, snatched the purse and took flight with her life's savings.

The incident on February 23 left Noorjahan crying and wailing on the road. "I spent many sleepless nights. I had no money to get my daughter, Ajeeva, married on March 5 and was thinking of cancelling the wedding," Noorjahan told TOI.

But a week later, the wedding preparations are in full swing and Noorjahan will also be able to buy a few more gifts for her daughter, thanks to Usman Khan, a 59-year-old man, who lives 13,000 km away in Texas, US, and who she has never met.

Khan, who runs a business of second-hand cars, was deeply moved when he saw the video of Noorjahan in tears and narrating the incident on an Indian news channel.

"I was very disheartened to see the woman weeping for a meagre sum. I couldn't sleep the entire night. The next morning, I used the internet to get the contact number of Inspector

Razi Ahmad

, in charge of Madnapur police station, who provided me with the details of the woman," Khan told TOI over the phone from Texas.

Battling against time to prevent the wedding from getting cancelled, Khan contacted his childhood friend Iqbal Shamsi in Rampur district and deposited 500 dollars (around Rs 33,400) in his bank account. Shamsi then travelled to Shahjahanpur with the money. The amount was given to Noorjahan in the presence of SP city Kamal Kishore on Friday.

"I can't believe that someone from another country has actually sent me the money. It is more than what I lost. A good deed by a stranger has restored my faith in Allah," she said.

Khan added, "I'm glad the amount reached Noorjahan well in time. I am thankful that I got an opportunity to help someone in need."