Labourer loses ₹1 lakh. Delhi Police constable finds and returns it

Vijay had withdrawn ₹1 lakh from his bank account in Delhi and brought 55kg worth of ration items. He was returning to UP’s Khurja where he was planning to build a home for his children.

A Delhi Police constable turned out to be a saviour for a labourer who forgot his bag containing ₹1 lakh in cash at the Shivaji Bridge railway station’s platform and left on the train for his home in Uttar Pradesh.

Vijay returned to Shivaji Bridge station around 6.30pm and was safely handed over the bag with ₹1 lakh by Constable Narender Kumar after due formalities. (IStock/HT File)

Vijay Kumar, a labourer in the city who lives in northwest Delhi’s Shakur Basti, is the only breadwinner of his family. Vijay had withdrawn ₹1 lakh from his bank account in Delhi and brought 55kg worth of ration items. He was returning to UP’s Khurja where he was planning to build a home for his children.

Vijay, unfortunately, left his cash bag behind on a bench at the platform and loaded the two bags of ration in the Bareilly-New Delhi intercity express, according to a report by news agency PTI.

Constable Narender Kumar who was posted with the New Delhi Railway police station was on duty at Shivaji Bridge station and was making rounds at the platform after the intercity express train left the station. Narender found a carry bag on the bench and enquired if the bag belonged to any passengers on the platform.

“I decided to keep the unclaimed bag with me. On checking it, I found two cash bundles amounting to ₹1 lakh with some rotis packed in a foil paper, water bottle, cheque book, bank passbook along with an Aadhar and ration card,” Narender was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Narender immediately informed his seniors about it and tried to contact Vijay Kumar but was unable to reach out to him. He decided to wait until someone came asking for the money.

Vijay returned to Shivaji Bridge station around 6.30pm and was safely handed over the bag with ₹1 lakh by the constable after due formalities. “Vijay Kumar left his carry bag at the station. Our constable Narender found the bag unclaimed and returned the belongings to Kumar along with his cash of ₹1 lakh,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways) Harendra Kumar Singh said.

Vijay later recalled the day and said that when the train arrived he boarded it in a hurry and left his ‘thaila’ on the bench. He said it was when he felt thirsty at Anand Vihar station he realised that he misplaced the bag containing the money. He said he was in tears as he had ₹1 lakh in cash and the money was necessary as he was saving it to build a small house for his children.

Vijay said that he asked people at the Anand Vihar station to look after his ration for a few hours so that he can go look for his money but no one agreed. “I lost all hopes but Narender babu was a saviour. He handed over my belongings and also got me boarded in the next train safely,” a relieved Vijay said.