A farmer in Rajasthan decided to keep his savings of Rs 5 lakh safe from thieves by burying them in his agricultural land. But his attempt to keep his money safe backfired when he forgot where he had hidden it. Nearly a year later, he was finally able to find the cash, only to find the notes destroyed by termites over time.
Mangilal Meghwal, a 50-year-old farmer from Newai village under the Pachpadra police station area of Balotra, had sold a plot of land around a year ago to raise money to build a house in his village. Fearing that the cash that he received from the sale could be stolen, he decided to secure the entire amount in a bag and bury it somewhere in his agricultural field.
But when Mangilal returned to retrieve the money about a month later, he was unable to remember the exact spot where he had buried the bag. Despite searching for it relentlessly, he could not locate his savings. The bag then remained under the ground for nearly a year.
Things took a turn when the money was discovered on August 7 when Mangilal’s wife and son went to the field to repair fencing. Sowing work was also underway in the agricultural land at the time. The family came across the bag of cash lying outside the ground.
However, the discovery did not bring them relief and quickly turned disappointing, because the notes had been badly damaged by termites and were reduced to pieces. When Mangilal took the damaged notes to the bank, the officials refused to accept the notes after seeing their condition. He also took the money to the bank’s main branch, where he received a similar response and was advised to approach the headquarters in Jaipur.
Internet Has Mixed Reactions To The Incident
Since the incident surfaced online, it has caught the attention of people, with many urging the bank to accept the damaged notes, as he is a poor farmer and the amount could be massive for him.
“The bank should help this elderly family or provide a replacement for these termite-eaten notes,” wrote a person.
सुरक्षित रखने के लिए किसान मांगीलाल मेघवाल ने 5 लाख रुपए खेत में गाड़ दिए. कुछ समय बाद उसे पैसों की ज़रूरत पड़ी लेकिन तब तक वो जगह भूल गया था कि उसने पैसे कहां छुपाये. तब उसने अपने बेटों को ये बात बताई. उसके परिवार ने 10 बीघे के उस खेत की जगह जगह खुदाई की. लेकिन पैसे नहीं मिले.… pic.twitter.com/Sxu47QvLWh
— Ruby Arun रूबी अरुण (@arunruby08) August 9, 2026
“Very sad! But if even a portion of the notes is intact and the numbers are visible, then according to RBI rules, the bank should replace these notes. The family should contact a senior bank officer or the RBI’s regional office; perhaps some compensation can be arranged,” said a user.
“@RBI kindly replace this farmer’s money; I shall be very thankful to you for this act of kindness. Thanking you,” someone else asked.
Meanwhile, an individual commented, “Don’t believe anything you see on the Internet. They don’t look soiled but rather burnt and cut; that’s why the bank rejected it. Banks do accept soiled notes.”