Burdwan, 01 Apr. 04 :  
A mentally retarded boy has been missing after he was recovered by RPF Shaktigarh out-post. The boy is believed to be missing due to negligence of Railway Protection Force officials in Burdwan. Sk. Saddam, a 11 yrs old boy of Sikarpur village under Kalna police station area is missing since the last 8 days.

He was reported to be found by the RPF out-post at Shaktigarh. Refusing to take any responsibility, the RPF Subedar, A. Pandey, posted at the out-post, handed over the boy to an unknown person with verbal request to handover the boy at the GRP Burdwan. But after eight days, the boy is still untraceable. 

The embarrassed family after thorough haunt, got the said news. They reached GRP Burdwan but was astonished to learn that, they have no knowledge about this missing boy. Superintendent of Police was compelled to intervene in the matter. Finally Allauddin Sk., the father of the boy, lodged a missing diary at the GRP Burdwan yesterday night. Allauddin Sk. said, "I was in the field and his mother went to Khamargachi to a local doctor. Alone Saddam, slight abnormal in nature, came out in search of his mother, and since then he is missing."   

RPF Inspector in Burdwan, S.P. Moulick admitted that, "without any official records our officials handed over this boy to an unknown person. Usually a P. R. Bond is to be registered in such case." He added, "some passengers handed over this boy to our Subedar in Saktigarh. He forwarded Saddam with a local messenger named Munna to GRP outpost in Memari. But they were returned to A. Pandey saying it is beyond their jurisdiction & GRP Burdwan will deal in it. Pandey then handed over this boy to the passengers of a local of Burdwan-Howrah main line for surrendering him to GRP Burdwan."

This incident has again highlighted the lack of co-ordination & communication between the two security divisions of the Indian Railway.