On April 12, CISF constable D. Ramesh, on duty at the at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here, found a bag containing nearly 19,500 UAE dirhams. On checking, it was found to contain other valuables and more Indian currency totally worth nearly Rs 3 lakh. The bag, it was later discovered, belonged to one Gunjan Samthalia, a passenger who had already boarded the Dubai-bound flight EK 527. The honest cop, constable Ramesh of CISF deposited the bag promptly with the “lost and found” counter. Some time back, inspector Madhav Rao of CISF found a laptop and deposited it at the appropriate counter. These are not stray cases of upright officials. There seems to be no dearth of honest cops in the CISF.
According to official sources, every month, goods and cash worth more than Rs 10 lakh are handed over to the lost and found department. This is over and above what is restored to passengers everyday through announcements before they board the flights or leave the airport premises. Sources revealed that the goods and cash deposited at the lost and found department of RGIA by CISF personnel in the past one year alone would amount to Rs 1 crore approximately which excludes the daily restorations. High on the list of restored items are foreign currency, Indian currency, laptops, jewellery and mobile phones followed by branded goggles, cosmetics, handbags etc.
As a senior official of CISF puts it, “A person is either honest or not honest. So, going by that, our 700 CISF employees here are a honest lot. It is part of our duty to restore the lost or abandoned stuff after thoroughly checking the same.” he adds, “Most of the people are honest because they do not get the chance to be dishonest!” Nevertheless, it is highly commendable that these officers resist temptations on a daily basis. In fact, it was this honesty exhibited by the CISF officials that prompted them to go for detailed review of the CCTV coverage of their own employees. Following this, even though, no formal complaint was lodged, a lady sub-inspector of CISF posted at RGIA is facing an enquiry on suspicion of stealing of gold ornaments from the handbag of a passenger from Gujarat.