Bengaluru: Displaying a great amount of timely helpfulness, the Bengaluru city police, who came across a Russian National whose wallet and phone was stolen leaving him desperate, not only listened to him sympathetically but also booked a bus ticket so that he could go to Goa to be with his friends.
Liashenko Vasili, 29, who is a chef by profession, had come to India for the second time. He was staying in Goa before leaving for Bangkok. He arrived in Bengaluru early on Friday and found that someone had stolen his wallet and iPhone.
“After landing at the airport, I got my visa and passport attested and went to a restaurant. Precisely then I realised someone had whacked off my wallet and iPhone. My mind went blank and I didn’t know what to do. The wallet contained US $150 and some Thai Baht (currency)”, he said recounting his ordeal to Deccan Herald.
Vasili said he didn’t have a single penny left with him and found it difficult to talk to anyone as he wasn’t fluent in English. “I narrated my plight to some people at the airport who paid for the cab and directed the driver to go to the police commissioner’s office. I was just clueless. I approached the guards at the commissioner’s office and tried to explain my plight but in vain. They then sent me in and made me sit in a room.”
The Russian said he was moved by the way the police treated him. “They realised that I was tired and had not eaten anything and did not have proper sleep. They offered me breakfast and coffee. After eating, I felt a bit relaxed and fell asleep.”
A senior police officer said: “We checked his passport and visa and everything was in order. He had come down to India on a tourist visa for six months. He is not fluent in English and knows only Russian. We contacted the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO) and told them about this person. They replied that they can only help if he has lost the visa or passport.”
Policemen struggled to comprehend Vasili’s broken English. “He told us he just wants to get back to Goa where his friends are there. He had come down to India a couple of months ago and was touring the country. A couple of week ago, he left for Cambodia and Thailand. He boarded a flight to Bengaluru so as to go to Goa. Unfortunately, someone stole his wallet and phone,” the officer said.
The police then booked a bus ticket to Goa and dropped him off at the Kempegowda bus stand. “He was grateful and has taken the address saying he will send the money back,” added the officer.
