Dear Sir,
I wish to bring to your kind attention a very sad experience of THEFT of money from my suitcase during the Jet Airways flight from Vadodara to Muscat via Mumbai under PNR no YZPUSN. The details of the episode are as under:
I checked in 2 bags at Vadodara airport on 21st Oct 2014.
During the checking in process, airline staff was informed me that I could check in my 3rd bag also (without any extra charge) which I wanted to carry as my cabin bag in addition to the laptop. As per the regulation, I was asked to get this cabin bag also screened just like I had done with the two checked in bags.
I readily agreed with his suggestion as it relieved me from handling the bag during flight and during 4 hours layover at Mumbai. This bag was checked in with baggage tag no 9W237747L.
As it was I was to carry the 3rd bag with me in cabin, I had not locked it. I brought it to the notice of the staff but they advised me that after the screening it would be sealed so I need not worry about it.
So faithfully, I went along with their advice.
Somehow, in that rush moment I forgot that I had kept some foreign currency – mainly in US Dollars – in the bag in a envelop marked Forex. I had put this bunch of currency bills duly segregated for each denomination and tied them together with a rubber band and put a post it sticker indicating number of each denomination. Best to my memory the total value of this was little over 1000 US Dollars
I remembered about the currency only when I was in the flight from Mumbai to Muscat. So as soon as I landed at Muscat at about 11.15 pm and claimed my bags after immigration check, I found to my horror that the seal of this bag was broken and the cover containing the currency was missing! It is a huge shock to loose hard earned money for a retired person like me.
I was stunned beyond words and didn’t know how to react. I did see the counter at the Muscat Airport for registering complaints related to baggage. But I was not sure if my complaint would be accepted by the staff as I felt that it was my mistake to have left the currency in the bag -locked or unlocked.
However, I wrote to Jet airways through their website on 22nd Oct. Then I sent mail to [email protected] on 24th Oct. They acknowledged my mail stating that from their side Mr. Nisha Suvarna will be handling this communication registered under the ref no. BOM/CC/241014/3377188 and they would revert by 6th Nov (after 15 days)!
I was not satisfied with their response so I approached Country manager of Jet Airways here at Muscat on 29th Oct 2014 and submitted a letter giving above details. I also forwarded the mails sent to Guest Relations. They expressed that they could do very little to help me and that I should wait for response from Guest Relations by 6th Nov.
Now, 15 days after this shocking experience, I decided to communicate this to you with a hope to receive some favorable response..
I strongly suspect that the staff at Vadodara or Mumbai airport handling the baggage transfer must be responsible for this theft. I would not be surprised if it is a well organised gang of miscreants who are regularly indulged in such activities.
I am bringing this to your attention with a view to seek your help a) to recover my lost money by apprehending the culprits and b) to advise concerned law enforcing agencies to take steps to prevent such occurrence again with any other passengers.
I would be happy to receive your acknowledgment of this and the action taken by you in this regard.
Thanks and regards,
Rajeev Mujumdar
PS: I am in Muscat on a 3 month Visitor Visa and intend to return to India in Jan 2015.
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