Philanthropy comes naturally to actor Suniel Shetty.

He learnt that his night watchman was distressed by the fact that his 12 year old daughter was suffering from meningitis and the cost of the treatment was phenomenal for him.

Suniel Shetty immediately asked his watchman to go ahead with the treatment and not care about the costs involved, the patient's mother Durga Devi said.

Sending Rs 50,000 immediately through a contact in Delhi to the hospital authoritries in Khatima where the girl is admitted, Suniel Shetty told her father that proper treatment of the girl should be the priority and not the expenses.

The mother said the girl was brought to a private hospital in Khatima on October 12 where, after preliminary treatment, doctors diagnosed her with brain fever.

The family was shocked to hear about the nature of the girl's illness. The shock was doubled when they got to know about the costs involved.

Thanking the actor profusely for his generous gesture, Durga Devi said it was godsend for them.