Monday 8 July 2013

Robbed In a Hotel and Nowhere to Go

Important:

Names and places have been altered to protect privacy. Readers are requested to not speculate. Also kindly do not reproduce any part whatsoever of this article anywhere. For any details, kindly write back and seek more information.

Brief Story:

A young urban professional checks into a hotel room. He pays in advance for a certain number of days. He 's pressurized to vacate under flimsy pretense. He is robbed of his bag. Police is called in. The investigation is on. The case moves on.

Background:

This story talks about the hardships faced by a young urban professional who has just moved from his place of education and upbringing to a leading city in search of better career prospects. All he asked for was a place to stay at a reasonable price. What he got was an effort to strip him of his key belongings. What followed was running around from one place to another , one official to another, to seek justice.

It talks about how a literate educated and innocent individual is preyed upon and robbed of his belongings in broad daylight in the presence of the very people who are supposed to make him feel more secure.

If this is what happens with someone as patriotic as one can be in his very own country then one can imagine what a foreign tourist must be going through.

If this is the case with someone with a bit of knowledge of system and law and someone more savant then one can imagine what an ordinary individual must be facing.

Most important of all, this case shows what one has to go through to seek justice. Justice that still continues to be elusive. And it seems like a simple case of theft. Or is it?


Day 0 2345 hrs
Candidate leaves the company guest house. He reaches the Hotel H1 (let's say).
He has already booked the hotel beforehand. The manager agreed to provide accommodation for few days. The hotel manager talks smooth and promises to book room. No problems. He will get the place.
So candidate reaches the hotel just beyond midnight.
The candidates has 10 bags with him. Upon seeing the bags the manager in night shift Mr M1 (let's say) refuses accomodation. Giving Mr M1 company is another night shift manager, coming across as an assistant manager Mr AM (let's say). It is almost midnight. The manager argues " how come you have so many bags? This looks suspicious. we cannot give accomodation like this. What if you are a terrorist?"

The candidate is confused and bewildered at this sudden change of behaviour. The hotel is perhaps truly suspicious or even worse wants to extort something 'extra' considering that he has not many places to go to in the middle of the night with so many bags. One would never know the true intentions. Shady hotel staff and even shadier behaviour is common in that party of the city according to urban folklore.

The candidate stays calm and tries to explain his credentials where he has worked etc. He also gives the right and honest reasons why he has so many bags. The candidate cannot go hunting in the middle of the night another hotel with so many bags with him.
Reluctantly the manager lets him stay in the hotel. The candidate pays advance for 4 days, finishes necessary formalities, etc.

Day 1 0020 hrs
The candidate's bags are fetched by two porters to his room on a particular floor. It is the top most floor.
The candidate is assured of good service. The safety is assured by saying that there is a good CCTV surveillance on all floors. Candidate specifically ask them about the same so as to ascertain and guage safety of a hotel.

Day2 and Day 3 are uneventful
The candidate does his meetings around town at various locations

Day4 1000hrs
Candidate is rudely awakened by knocks on his door. When he opens the morning shift manager Mr M3 (lets say) says " You need to pay advance. Are you going to continue?" The candidate assures the manager that he will go to the reception and pay the advance.
1230 pm: Candidate promptly goes to the reception after finishing his morning ablutions. he pays the advance for next 2/3 days extra and gets the necessary receipt for

the same. They assure him that now he can rest assured and continue as he has paid the advance.

0700pm: The candidate is having evening supper in the hotel cafetaria when the evening manager Mr M1 informs him " You will have to vacate as we have new guests. You have 1 hour". The candidate is shocked. He calmly explains that he has just given advance. He also tries to reason that it is difficult for him to now vacate at such short notice with so many bags ,etc.

But the manager is unfazed.

0730pm: Candidate calls the hotel owner whose number he has. The candidate met the owner at the hotel premises. His name is Mr HO1 (Hotel Owner 1). He informs him the saga. Mr HO1 assures to take action. Mr HO1 is by the way not on the premises. He supposedly left for the day.

Basic Facts:  Mr HO1 and Mr HO2 are the two persons incharge and are the wards of a grey-haired overall owner Mr HO3.  The 3 of them are the final authorities on all hotel matters.

0745pm: Mr M1 has now lost his cool and is furious. He yells " Why did you call the owner? What do you think of yourself? You think we will change our decision? Nothing doing. You will have to vacate. "

The candidate asserts that this is not the way he can talk to a customer.
But Mr M1 's temper is unabated.  He even uses foul language. The candidate has no idea what caused Mr M1 to shift gears so spontaneously. Perhaps that's they way he has been bred.

He yells " vacate now. guests are coming. You can go to other hotel"
The candidate is at the end of his tethers now.
He tries the same owner's phone again. But now Mr HO1 has begun avoiding his calls! Candidate has another mobile number. So he tries from there. Now Mr HO1 answers the phone. Upon realizing who is on the phone he says "Wait I am busy.  I Will call you back."
Mr HO1 does not call back.

0815pm: Two porters (let's say P1 and P2) sent by Mr M1 are now knocking on candidate's door every 5 min and yelling "vacate room. vacate room."
Candidate's phone is ringing every 5 min. The manager at reception is yelling "When you vacate mister? when? guest waiting"
Candidate has now begun packing his bags.
He request for a few more minutes from the porter and the manager.

By 0920pm the bags are packed.

The moment the candidate opens the door, 2 porters jump in and start collecting the baggage. The candidate requests that they handle gently. But why would they listen.

They are belligerent.
They start lining the bags at the elevator door on 7 floor.

0930
The candidate has counted the bags in the room. There are 10 bags. The elevator is at a distance of about 30 m.
As soon as the candidate steps out, he does a count again. There are 9 bags. He counts again. Doesn't take long to figure that one bag is missing!
This is the same bag where all important documents pertaining to his career and education are kept viz. certificates, bills , letters.
There are hard disks, drives, etc.
There are other expensive computer peripherals.
Valuables like watch, some cash, cheque books, sim cards, etc. are in it

The candidate immediately starts describing the bag to the porters and asks about its whereabouts.
________________________________________

NOTE: At this point one may argue. Why did he not keep his very valuable bag with him. But this we all know now! Who would have predicted this would happen?
Besides there were two important bags. The other was also heavy and on his shoulders. There was no way candidate could handled both. And it happens in a space of 15 seconds. The porters also were aggressively picking the bags and moving them out. They were actually 'vacating the room'!

_________________________________________

Immediately the candidate raises an alarm. He starts yelling. The porters feign ignorance now about any such bag. They reach the reception with the 9 bags. The managers are not at all helpful. Both Mr M1 and Mr AM are present. On the contrary, they blame the candidate for creating the ruckus. By now Mr AM has also changed his colours and is taking cue from Mr M1

Mr. M1 and the other manager tell the porter "Keep all his bags outside hotel as he is not a guest anymore. "
The porters follow. The candidate is dumbstruck on what to do. He tries to patiently convince the managers but they are not willing to listen at all. The candidate reasons " I have lost one bag. ALone how will i protect the 9 bags on the streets. Please be little considerate"
The candidate has already called the police on 100. They arrive.
When they arrive the hotel managers somehow relent and let the remaining 9 bags in the premises.
Now the managers convince the cops in local language that the problem person is the customer. He is not having bag but is still claiming that he did. The candidate does not understand anything at all. SO he calls local lawyers through reference. The police constables refuse to take any action. They say that without FIR nothing can be done. The candidate and the lawyer Mr L1 (over phone call) explain that the bag will be gone the moment the candidate steps out; assuming it is still on the premises.

The cops have been brain washed in local language by the hotel managers and they do not listen. Maybe something else that is transactional has happened. But no point speculating. They leave as swiftly as the came.

Day 5 0100 hrs
The two lawyer friends arrive. Let's call them Mr. L1 and Mr. L2. The manager assures one of them that they will provide CCTV footage under one condition. Police should not get involved. But they still stick to their original theory that there were only 9 bags. So the lawyer friend says "Why don't you pull the footage of the day when he checked in. That way you will know."

Mr. M1 promises to personally show footage. But there's a catch. He won't do it immediately. He promises to do it on the morrow at 1000am! How convenient!

The lawyers somehow convince candidate that there is no point in antagonizing the hotel authorities by filing an FIR. ALso at this time of day (wee hours) there is a slim chance of someone registering an FIR.

0245hrs
The managers now in presence of candidate's lawyers have softened up and say " DO not worry. You can stay at the same room in the hotel. It is very late. Where will you go?"
The candidate says " What about your guests ? They did not check in ?"
Manager: "No. They went elsewhere."
The candidate is certain something is fishy by now.
The lawyer friends convince the candidate into staying there. His Name is Mr L1
The candidate checks in again to the same room. His mind is full of stress and anxiety.
He cannot sleep.

0330hrs
He gets off the bed. Locks the doors properly. And slowly leaves the hotel. Outside he catches an auto. Asks the auto in " Where is the nearest police station? Take me there." On the way, the candidate explains whole story to the auto guy.

At the police station, the auto guy helps translate the case to the local police. That way at least the police will understand truly what has happened. The police are all drunk. But they assure that they will immediately reach hotel.

They refuse to take FIR. They promise to send a cop to the hotel.

The candidate returns by the same auto. He waits for half an hour outside hotel gate. The police show no sign of showing up.

0440 hrs
The candidate dejectedly goes to his room . Out of sheer exhaustion he falls asleep on the  bed.

0645 hrs
The candidate wakes up with cold sweat and perspiration. His most important bag is missing. Reality strikes again.
He rushes off to the same police station. The inspector Mr PI1 refuses to take a statement or FIR. The candidate calls control room 100 and informs them immediately.

This enrages the inspector. At one point he even tells the candidate to "Aye. Mind it". He asks the candidate "What do  you want? an FIR or your bag back?". The candidate obviously needs the bag. The inspector then  calms down and says he will send a constable alongwith. The constable reaches the hotel with the candidate. They ask some questions. It is almost 8 oclock . Customer activity is building up at the reception. The managers are not happy at the sight of a cop. There are new managers now at the desk. Let's call them Mr. M8, Mr. M9, Mr. M10 ,etc. Interestingly Mr.  HO 1 and Mr. HO3 are also around.

Then the constable returns back alongwith candidate to police station.
This happens 3 times. The inspector shouts at the constable for not doing proper investigation. It may all be just drama to show how hardworking they are. The candidate can only be suspicious but can say nothing at the moment.

1000hrs
Mr M1 has  not showed up. One manager calls Mr L1. Mr L1 calls the candidate and says " Why did you call cops? Now they are looking in bad position in front of the customer."
Candidate has no choice. They hotel did not keep their side of promise. No manager has shown up from night shift. THE CCTV operator is not around.
One person is fiddling with CCTV recording. But there is no recording showing up. It is now getting more and more murky.

1130hrs
Constable alongwith candidate return to file FIR

1200hrs
Inspector PI1 refuses to take FIR based upon what the candidate is saying. He does not acknowledge putting things like valuables, cash in the bag ,etc. in FIR.
He actually dictates what is to be put on the FIR and only accepts that copy.
The candidate has to consult his own lawyer. But even the lawyer fails to convince PI1 on the phone.

The whole FIR Formality takes 2 hours. The photocopy is taken.
Candidate returns to hotel by 330pm.

The next promise made by hotel staff is that another operator of CCTV will come at 4pm.

1600hrs
the hotel owner has reachd.There is a CCTV operator. The candidate. The inspector. the constable. But no sign of the night shift managers. Now, HO1 and HO3 are also around. HO2 might have been around.
After trying different things , it is soon understood  no recording exists.

Final verdict: the cctv has not been recording anything at all so far. The only recording that exists is from morning 1000 o clock onwards on 15 Feb. That was when the constable first visited

The inspector shows now sign of harshness on the hotel. At one point in front of everyone he even has the gall to 'advice' the candidate quite louldy "why you not take care of your belonging only. important bag you see with yourself only. why leave to porter boys"

1730 hrs
The candidate insists that hotel must be checked.
But the inspector provides no support of police staff.
the candidate is personally taken to every room of  the top floor.
Then the candidate insists that even the hotel staff 's lockers must be checked. On every floor staff lockers are checked.
This is done personally by the candidate with help from the some porter and some "lock breaker " guy
Inspector meanwhile chit chats in the cafetaria with the hotel owners.

1900 hours
The candidate is thoroughly tired. The inspector and owner are bored of chit chat.

The inspector advises candidate to continue staying in same hotel.

The candidate is completely spooked out.

2000 hours
Another manager -same guy who came to collect money on Day 4th morning- of the hotel meets the candidate in the lobby. He says "in our hotel nothing like this happens. how come it happen only to you. our hotel very reputed. the owner is ex-MP of so and so political party from so and so state...blah blah..."

2300 hours
Candidate checks out of the hotel for good.
Before leaving the candidate politely reminds some members of staff and even the managers that "I have no intention of getting into police matter as long as you cooperate. If by mistake somebody has taken it then simply return it. I only need by stuff back. "

There are promises by Mr M1 Mr M2 and Mr M3. But nothing concrete results out of this.
In the next few days, candidate leaves no stone unturned.
He visits the local police station many times. Meets the investigating inspector Mr PI1.
He meets every single person right up the hierarchy to explain what has happened.

He also visits the cyber crime cell and meets the inspector MR PI2. This is to explain that he lost his Hard Disks containing vital data.

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