(Image source from: Indiatimes.com)

An Indian origin man in Ohio is winning hearts with his simple selfless gesture proving that the world is not full of self-centered people.

Jay Singh, the owner of a 7-Eleven store in Toledo, was in the back office when one of his employees alerted him of a shoplifter. When Singh checked the CCTV cameras installed in the store, he watched the teenager putting some food items in his pocket.

Singh went to the main store area to find the teen at the cash counter paying for a few items. When Singh asked him to take out the articles in his pocket, the boy took out one of the items. The shop owner asked him to empty his pockets or he would call the police.

Singh instructed an employee to call 911 but when Singh asked him why he was stealing, the boy replied that he and his younger brother were hungry.

At this point, an employee at the store had called up 911. As soon as Singh became aware of the reason behind the teen's action, he asked his employee to hang up.

According to a report in CNN, Singh told the boy, "Well that's not food. You're stealing gum and candies. That's just something for munching. If you're hungry, ask me. I'll give you food."

Instead of reporting the matter to the police, the store owner decided to give the boy some real food. He did not want to ruin his life for trying to feed himself and his family.

A customer who witnessed the incident posted about it on Facebook. The post has received more than 9,200 reactions and close to 3,000 shares.

By Sowmya Sangam