Assam journalist loses two phones in AC coach during spiritual retreat to Uttarakhand

A train journey to Uttarakhand turned into an unsettling experience for Sunil Borah, Executive Editor of India Today NE, after two mobile phones belonging to him and his wife reportedly went missing from beneath their pillows while they were asleep in an air-conditioned coach of the Kathgodam-Dehradun Express.

Borah, who was travelling with his wife and son on a spiritual retreat, reported the incident to the Government Railway Police (GRP) in Dehradun through a written complaint dated October 20.

According to the complaint, the family was travelling on Train No. 14119 on October 19 in coach A2, occupying seats 37 and 39. They had boarded the train at around 8.10 pm and gone to sleep later in the night.

Borah stated that his wife's iPhone 17 Pro was last used at 1.49 am. When the couple woke up before reaching Dehradun, they discovered that both phones had disappeared from beneath the pillows provided by the train staff.

The missing devices include an iPhone 17 Pro belonging to his wife and a dual-SIM OnePlus phone belonging to Borah. The complaint contains the mobile numbers and IMEI details of both devices.

The incident has raised concerns about passenger safety and the security of personal belongings even in air-conditioned railway coaches, where passengers may reasonably expect their belongings to remain secure while they sleep. 

The reported disappearance of two phones from beneath the pillows of sleeping passengers also raises questions about how such incidents can occur without being noticed.

Borah requested the GRP to register the complaint and place the devices under surveillance to help trace them. The family, residents of Beltola in Guwahati, had travelled from Assam to Uttarakhand as tourists.

The complaint, addressed to the Station Officer of GRP Dehradun, bears a police stamp. However, it is not clear from the document whether a formal case has been registered or whether the phones have been recovered.