Delhi: At a Metro station where 28 lakh people come and go every day, several lose their way, or get separated from their child or partner. On an average, the CISF gets two cases of people lost at a Metro station every day.
Amid all such rush, there is one such CISF constable at the New Delhi Metro Station, who has now become a household name in handling such cases.
Noorjahan Khatun, and she helps those lost find their way home.
Joined CISF in 2008, 27-year-old was posted at the Delhi Metro in 2011. Her popularity and tireless efforts have garnered her ‘employee of the year’ award.
The CISF constable has been credited with reuniting women, senior citizens and children with their families in over 100 cases where they were separated with their travel companions in the Metro.
One such case which displayed her grit and intelligence took place on December 25, 2016. A woman from West Bengal was found crying at the Metro station. She had separated from her husband while boarding a train. Another issue was the language barrier.
She knew neither English nor Hindi. Moreover, couldn’t even recollect her husband’s phone number.
It was then that Noorjahan took her position, and immediately took over the probe.
“The woman did not remember the phone number of her husband but knew the name of the hotel where they were staying. I called the hotel and got her husband’s mobile number. He was located and both were reunited,” Noorjahan told media.
Deployed in the intelligence wing, Noorjahan is the go-to cop when it comes to reuniting lost people in the Metro.
Also a case, in the list of her achievements is of a lost 71-year-old woman who got separated with her son, who was untraceable for two days. “In December 2015, a man came crying and I was called by the station staff. His mother had boarded the Metro but had not reached home for two days. I checked the CCTV footage and through her movement, we traced her to an old age home in Faridabad. It gave me a lot of satisfaction,” she said.
Among the 28 lakh passengers travelling in the Metro daily, around 20% are first-timers. Confronted with ‘missing persons’ or ‘lost’ people, the CISF tasked with the Metro security takes it up on a priority-basis.
‘Even a minute’s delay can hamper investigation,’ say the officials.
Most passengers get separated due to automatic doors and crowded stations. Last year alone, over 100 kids were reunited with their parents, an official told HT
“Whenever we receive a case of a missing person, we advise our staff to call Khatun. She never disappoints us and she likes her job,” a senior CISF official said, adding that she has also solved cases of pick-pocketing and theft.
In 2016 alone, the CISF led by Noorjahan reunited 106 children. Until June 2017, 60 children were reunited with their parents, and more than 100 adults were reunited with their families.
“We have trained our staff to identify people roaming alone. It is a misconception that only children are vulnerable. In the Metro, many first timers from other states come and often get separated,” the CISF official said.
Noorjahan Khatun – The nation salutes you !