Former top cop missed his Vande Bharat train while returning a passenger’s glasses and was later falsely accused of theft in a misleading media report.
Thiruvananthapuram: Former Kerala DGP Rishiraj Singh missed his train after stepping out to return a passenger’s glasses, only to be falsely accused of theft in a media report. Widely recognised for his integrity, Singh said he had been deeply affected by the misleading coverage.
The incident occurred last Thursday on the Vande Bharat Express while Rishiraj Singh was travelling from Thiruvananthapuram to Tirur. He noticed Dr. Rema Mukesh, a resident of Thrissur, leaving her glasses and book on the seat while preparing her daughter to disembark at Ernakulam. Assuming she had forgotten them, Singh stepped off the train to return the items.
However, when her daughter, who was travelling with her, got off at Ernakulam, Rema moved towards the door to bid farewell, but the couple had not yet disembarked. Rishiraj Singh searched for them on the platform but did not see them standing near the door. In the meantime, the door closed, and the Vande Bharat departed, causing Singh to miss the train as he could not get back on before the doors closed.
His personal items, including a wallet, iPhone, and bag, remained on board. The former top cop then arranged to hand over the glasses and book to the railway police. He borrowed Rs 500 from an acquaintance to purchase a ticket for the next train and coordinated the return of his belongings to be collected at Tirur.
Meanwhile, Dr Rema and her husband, unaware of Singh’s actions, reported the glasses missing after disembarking at Thrissur. The police later informed them that the items had been found. On learning that Singh had returned her glasses, Dr Rema called to thank him.
Despite this, a media outlet published a report alleging that a senior police officer had stolen the glasses, valued at Rs 30,000, misrepresenting Singh’s act of honesty.
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