Dozing off for even a moment and sheer carelessness results in commuters travelling in suburban and long-distance trains losing their luggage, some of which might contain valuables, including cash, mobile phones or laptops.
The Railway Protection Force, Government Railway Police and Southern Railway staff recover several wallets, bags and laptop bags left behind by commuters in station platforms or inside compartments of Electrical Multiple Units. The value of the property left behind in the trains and platforms, according to railway sources, runs to several lakhs of rupees every year.
On Tuesday, passenger A.C. Jamalia (81) was a relieved man after a bag containing gold jewels and cash, which he had left behind in an air-conditioned compartment, was spotted by railway staff and returned to him. He had just arrived at Chennai Egmore by Sethu Express and had left the station. After all passengers detrained, C.P. Babu, RPF head constable, made an inspection of the compartment as part of a routine check and spotted the bag. Commercial staff of Southern Railway and the RPF traced Mr. Jamalia and handed it back to his family, the bag containing valuables, including Rs. 1.58 lakh in cash and gold jewels weighing 10 sovereigns.
Last week, Shalini, a commercial department clerk, and Ajay Ghose, an RPF constable, recovered a wallet left behind by a commuter at the Light House police station and handed it back to him after due verification, a tweet by the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager said.
In some cases, policemen have recovered even critical office documents left behind by employees travelling in long-distance trains.
According to K.K. Ashraf, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, RPF Chennai, Rs. 50 lakh worth of valuables have been recovered and restored to their owners this year.
In 2015, they recovered and restored 367 bags and wallets, while they have already handed over property to 403 owners so far this year.
