Nagpur: From January to October 2024, under Operation ‘Amanat,’ the Railway Protection Force (RPF) retrieved luggage valued at approximately Rs 4.60 crore, including Rs 60 lakh worth of items from the Nagpur division alone. These cases of luggage retrieval involved various items such as bags, mobile phones, purses, laptops, and other valuables.
Many passengers have faced incidents of forgetting or misplacing valuables—like purses, bags, laptops, important documents, and credit/debit cards—during their journeys on trains and at railway stations.
In most cases, Indian Railways employees promptly come to the passengers’ aid, whether a formal complaint has been filed or not. Their response is often swift and effective. Here are a couple of recent incidents:
Recent Incidents
1. Renigunta to Mantralayam Road: Vishal’s mother, traveling from Renigunta to Mantralayam Road, realized about an hour after deboarding that she had left her purse on the train. She immediately registered a complaint with the Railway helpline. The CR-RPF team sprang into action, with RPF Solapur contacting the passenger for further details and relaying the information to RPF Wadi. The train was promptly checked with the assistance of the conductor, and the purse was retrieved within 20 minutes of the complaint. The passenger was duly informed.
2. Sion Station: At Sion station, Pointsman Pooja and RPF staff found a bag containing Rs 10,000 in cash along with ATM cards, bank passbooks, FD receipts, and other documents. The bag was handed over to the station master, and inquiries led to the identification of the owner, Mr. John Peter, a senior citizen, through his Bank of Maharashtra passbook.
Both Vishal and Mr. Peter expressed deep gratitude towards Indian Railways, praising the employees who helped recover their valuables.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel are consistently at the forefront, maintaining a round-the-clock vigil to safeguard not only railway property but also to assist in various roles such as lifesavers, rescuers of runaway children, and retrievers of lost luggage.
In addition to their core duty of protecting railway assets, the RPF, under Operation ‘Amanat,’ has gone beyond the call of duty, retrieving and returning passengers’ lost items, including mobile phones, laptops, jewelry, and cash. Below is a division-wise breakdown of the retrieved luggage value for passengers:
• Mumbai Division: Rs 2.28 crore worth of luggage for 580 passengers
• Bhusaval Division: Rs 1.00 crore worth of luggage for 230 passengers
• Nagpur Division: Rs 59.38 lakh worth of luggage for 291 passengers
• Solapur Division: Rs 36.75 lakh worth of luggage for 92 passengers
• Pune Division: Rs 35.22 lakh worth of luggage for 113 passengers
These Railway Protection Force personnel also encounter diverse security challenges, including crimes against passengers and railway property, extremist threats, and train obstructions. Their dedication to safety, vigilance, and service is evident in their commitment, as they embody the RPF’s motto: Suraksha, Satarkta, and Seva (Safety, Vigilance, and Service). They continue to carry out their duties with unwavering dedication, alertness, and courage.
