Over 1,100 mobile theft-related complaints received during Ganpati this year

A majority of the complaints were reported on the city police portal during/after the Ganpati immersion procession Thursday night

PUNE: According to the Pune police, as many as 1,100 complaints related to mobile theft were received during the 10-day Ganpati festival this year. Whereas 617 complaints related to mobile theft were received during the 10-day Ganesh festival last year, the police said. A majority of the complaints were reported on the city police portal during/after the Ganpati immersion procession Thursday night.

As the festivities were centred around the Faraskhana and Vishrambaug police stations which fall under zone 1 of the city commissionerate, most cases of mobile theft were reported at these police stations. (HT PHOTO)

As the festivities were centred around the Faraskhana and Vishrambaug police stations which fall under zone 1 of the city commissionerate, most cases of mobile theft were reported at these police stations. This, despite a large number of policemen in civil dress deployed in these areas and a thick blanket of CCTV and drone coverage put in place as part of the heightened security measures.

DCP (zone 1) Sandeep Gill, said, “We have received over 1,100 complaints related to mobile theft/missing mobiles and the process of lodging FIRs will be initiated. At the same time, the assistance of the cyber cell will be sought to detect the cases. Also, a special squad will be constituted for probing mega mobile thefts or mobile missing cases.”

According to DCP Gill, Vishrambaug, Khadak and Faraskhana police station areas reported the maximum number of thefts. During the 10-day festival, the Hadapsar police apprehended two gangs and seized 72 stolen mobiles from them while the Faraskhana police arrested Chandrakumar Pasdan, 25, from Moshi for stealing a mobile phone worth ₹70,000. In another case, the Vishrambaug police detained three juveniles for stealing eight mobiles during the festival.

Suryapratap Naiknaware, a resident of Kothrud who lost his mobile phone during the visarjan procession near Alka Chowk, said, “I was in the pathak playing the dhol-tasha. Little did I know that my phone was no longer in my pocket. It fell down during the journey from Belbaug Chowk to Alka Chowk. I wanted to make a call home but when I reached out for my phone, it was not there. The police told me to lodge the complaint online which I did. I hope that the police will trace and return my phone (iPhone)…”