Mumbai cop goes beyond call of duty, helps Kashmiri man claim ₹52,000 provident fund

After listening to Kashmir resident Shaukat Ali’s problem, senior inspector Hemant Sawant of Charkop police station decided to help him.

Shoukat Ali, a resident of Kashmir, is all praises for the Mumbai Police, after a senior inspector from Charkop police station helped him claim provident fund (PF) that was stuck at the PF office in Kandivli since March.

Senior inspector at Charkop police station, Hemant Sawant., helped out a man from Kashmir claim his PF. (Handout)

Ali, who had worked for a private company in Kashmir in 2013, could not visit his firm’s head office in Mumbai or the PF office in Kandivli owing to financial constraints. Moreover, he needed the money to pay for his daughter’s school fees.

For more than a month, Ali was trying to contact officials at the PF office over the phone to check for updates regarding the clearance of ₹52,000. Not being tech-savvy delayed the process, as Ali could not fill the form online. Moreover, poor speed and impromptu shutdowns of internet service in the valley compounded his problem.

After numerous failed attempts to contact the PF office, Ali searched for ‘Mumbai Police’ online and found the number of Charkop police station, which is located near the PF office. He called on the landline and spoke to senior inspector Hemant Sawant.

Ali said, “I have been told that money will come into my account in the next 15 days. A trip to Mumbai would cost me at least ₹10,000. Although I’ve never met Sawant sir, he went out of his way to help me. I’m grateful to Mumbai Police.”

Sawant said he was glad that he could help Ali.