Hooghly, 11 September (H.S.): A mix-up involving two identical blue bags on a Burdwan-Howrah local train led to a dramatic discovery after one of the passengers found a licensed pistol and live ammunition inside the bag he had mistakenly taken. The Sheoraphuli Government Railway Police (GRP) later recovered the bag and safely returned all its contents to its rightful owner.

A senior officer of the Sheoraphuli GRP shared details of the incident on Friday.

According to police, 45-year-old former CRPF personnel Kamal Ghosh was travelling from Chandannagar to Srirampur on a Burdwan-Howrah local train on Thursday morning. He had placed his blue bag in the luggage rack inside the compartment.

Another passenger, Sheikh Raju, a resident of Bainchi, was travelling in the same compartment and also had a similar blue bag. When they got off at Sheoraphuli station, the two passengers allegedly picked up each other's bags by mistake.

After leaving the station, Raju reportedly realised that the bag in his possession was not his. When he opened it, he was shocked to find a firearm and cartridges inside. Unsure of what to do, he reportedly returned to Bainchi and informed his mother about the incident.

Meanwhile, Kamal Ghosh also realised that his bag had been exchanged. He immediately contacted the Sheoraphuli GRP and informed officers that his bag contained a licensed pistol, two magazines, 14 rounds of live ammunition and the firearm licence.

Following the complaint, the GRP launched an investigation. CCTV footage from Sheoraphuli station reportedly helped police establish that the two identical bags had been exchanged accidentally.

Railway police subsequently contacted several GRP police stations and outposts. In the meantime, Sheikh Raju arrived at the Bainchi police outpost with the blue bag.

Police recovered the pistol, two magazines, 14 live cartridges and other belongings from the bag. After verifying the firearm licence and other relevant documents, the GRP handed over the bag and its contents to former CRPF personnel Kamal Ghosh.

According to the GRP, the preliminary investigation indicates that the bag exchange was purely accidental, and all relevant documents related to the licensed firearm were duly verified.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey