Sambalpur: In a dramatic turn of events, Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel have been on a ‘shoe-hunt’ of sorts for the last month, after a complaint was registered January 5 with the RPF under Sambalpur Railway Division. However strange and curious it may sound, the incident is true. After a month of pursuit, the pair of shoes has been recovered by a lady doctor from Delhi. According to sources, a lady doctor and the daughter of Sambalpur Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Vineet Kumar Singh were travelling as co-passengers of a train. The doctor got down from the train at Bareilly railway station early morning at 4 am, January 4.
However, while deboarding the train she inadvertently wore the shoes of the DRM’s daughter and left for her destination. It was learned that she even had to give a statement before the police that there was no such intention and she would return the pair of shoes. Notably, the complaint at the RPF regarding the missing shoes was lodged by DRM Singh, January 5. After the plaint, not only the RPF, but other railway units such as the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) were also roped in on the lookout for the shoes.
On the other hand, keeping in view the traveling passengers’ safety, a host of steps including awareness programs and mock drills are being taken up by the Railways. While a number of train travelers are lucky enough to get their ‘missing goods’ back, there are many who never get any trace of their lost or stolen belongings.
Meanwhile, the retrieval of the ‘lost’ shoes has set the circles abuzz about the RPF’s success. Although Sambalpur RPF was contacted regarding this, there was no reaction from the officials.