Bengal: Ham radio helps connect two lost persons with family members

Kolkata: In the wake of a number of recent cases of physical assault and lynching over rumours of child lifting or mobile theft across the state, two contrasting incidents in two parts of the state deserves special mention because the local people did not take up law in their hands and instead sought assistance from the administration.

Sources said a woman was spotted at a place called Dosa at Gocharan in South 24-Parganas roaming aimlessly. When some local people confronted her, she spoke incoherently. One Atanu Halder, who owns a building material shop, informed the local police station and West Bengal Radio Club (WBRC) — the organisation of ham radio enthusiasts in the state.

The police with assistance of ham radio operators learnt that the woman’s husband Manoj Ghosh is a resident of Kerala. The woman left her residence two years back and remained untraced since then. The ham radio operators traced her family members who will be soon reaching the state to take her back. The locals of Dosa area have assured of taking care of the woman and have provided shelter in a local school.

In another incident, a male person was spotted sitting on a bridge near IIT Kharagpur. Two youths, Subhodip Roy and Joydeep Swarnakar enquired about the person who spoke in Hindi and informed that he is originally from Gujarat.

They clicked his photograph and sent it to WBRC. His elder brother was traced soon and it was learnt that the person was mentally challenged. The person is presently under the supervision of Kharagpur Town Police Station and will remain so till his brother reaches Bengal to take him back.

“We have been repeatedly appealing to the people not to take law into their hands and inform us when they come across any sort of suspicious movement. These two incidents have proved that our appeals have not fallen on deaf ears,” a Bengal Police

official said.