Chennai: A Chennai neurosurgeon’s lost wristwatch on the Vande Bharat Express was recovered within 40 minutes of filing a complaint, highlighting the efficiency of Southern Railways and the Railway Protection Force.

Mariano Anto Bruno Mascarenhas, a neurosurgeon from Chennai, forgot his wristwatch in the restroom of the Vande Bharat Express while travelling to Egmore on the night of October 17. The doctor only realised the watch was missing after reaching home around 11 PM.

  • At 12:28 AM, Mascarenhas lodged a complaint on the Railmadad website, providing his PNR, coach, and seat number. Within minutes, he began receiving responses from railway authorities:
  • 12:31 AM: A message confirming receipt of the complaint
  • 12:49 AM: A call from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) informing him the train had moved to the yard and a search was requested
  • 01:12 AM: WhatsApp message with two photos of the watch
  • 01:13 AM: Call from RPF confirming if the watch belonged to him

Mascarenhas praised the railway staff, stating, “This is an amazing act. To be honest, this wasn’t really a ‘complaint’. The mistake was on my part, not the Railway’s. They were able to resolve it within minutes.”

He detailed the coordinated effort behind the recovery: multiple personnel registered the complaint, informed the RPF, tracked the train’s movement to the yard, located the watch, took photographs, passed them up the command chain, and confirmed ownership before closing the complaint.

The following morning, Mascarenhas visited Egmore station with copies of his ticket and Aadhar card, signed the register, and retrieved his watch. He expressed gratitude to all Southern Railway and RPF personnel involved, calling it a testament to their dedication and efficiency.

This incident demonstrates the effectiveness of the Railmadad platform and the Railway Protection Force in handling lost-and-found complaints, setting an example for other passengers on long-distance train journeys.