Mumbai: A 46-year-old director with a Manipal Group company fell victim to theft in Mumbai airport from his checked-in bag, losing Rs 1 lakh in cash and a cherished 78-year-old fountain pen on Wednesday. 

Airport Employees Behind the Theft? 

The flyer, identified as Binod Kumar Mandal, suspected airport employees to be behind the theft.

Mandal, who was traveling from Mangaluru to Mumbai, made the shocking discovery after landing at the domestic terminal. 

He found the number lock and zip of his bag tampered with, leading to the loss of his emergency cash reserve meant for a two-day official trip.

Expressing his anguish, Mandal shared that the stolen fountain pen, valued at Rs 5,000, held significant sentimental value as a family heirloom. "It was a gift from my grandfather in 1946," he said.

5 Hours of Waiting in Mumbai Airport 

The victim had to endure nearly five hours of waiting in Mumbai before he could lodge a police complaint. Mandal, originally from Kolkata, works in Mangaluru with Manipal Tech Group Companies. 

He criticized authorities for testing the patience of complainants instead of swiftly resolving their issues.

"I had the proof of money that I had withdrawn from the bank, which I carried with me," Mandal emphasized. 

Despite being a frequent flyer, this incident marked his first encounter with baggage theft.

Suspecting collusion among airport staff, Mandal asserted, "It is a hand-in-glove act by people inside the airport; otherwise, the theft would not have occurred. I suspect that the person who does the baggage scanning would have tipped off the loader who would have stolen the cash at a place where there is no CCTV coverage."

Mumbai Police Registers Case of Theft 

Police have registered a case of theft against an unknown person, and investigations are underway to identify the culprit behind this distressing incident at Mumbai airport.