Mumbai: Andheri GRP constables hand over stolen cellphones 10 yrs later

A cop hands over Sandeep Nalawade his phone

These two Mumbai residents were pleasantly surprised when Andheri Government Railway Police (GRP) officers approached them last month to return their phones that they had lost almost 10 years back. They might have not expected it in their wildest dreams, because when the cops reached out to them, they couldn't even recollect the incidents they were talking about.

Back in 2010
Aditya Bane (previous name Chandranil Bane), a Chinchpokli resident, had lost his mobile phone in 2010, after which he had filed a complaint against an unknown person. Police had registered a case under section 379 of IPC. Speaking to mid-day, Bane said, "In 2010, I was working with a security firm, where I earned Rs 8,000. A couple of days prior to Diwali in October I had bought a Nokia Express music phone for Rs 5,500. Just a week later when I was travelling via train from Andheri to Dadar, my phone got stolen. Soon after, I approached the Andheri GRP and registered a complaint. I followed up the case for around five to six months and then gave up hope as nothing was coming of it."

Aditya Bane holds up the phone that he had lost in 2010

He further said that on Monday last week a GRP constable approached him and asked him to visit the Andheri court to collect the phone. "At first I couldn't recollect which case he was talking about. Then I visited the court, completed the formalities and collected the phone from the police station," he added.

Speaking about the investigation, a GRP officer said, "We had received his complaint after Diwali in October the same year. A year later we found the phone and arrested accused Faisal Rithane, 23. He was sentenced to six months of imprisonment on October 30 this year."

Happened in 2008
In a similar case, Kandivli resident Sandeep Nalawade, who lost his phone in 2008, got it back a couple of days ago. Speaking to mid-day, he said, "The incident took place on October 21, 2008, when I was travelling from Andheri to Borivli. My phone got stolen while I was boarding the train. After I filed a complaint in the matter, the police registered an FIR under section 379 of IPC."

"On October 22 this year, a GRP constable came to my house and said that they had found the phone. Then I visited the police station and collected it," he added. When contacted, a police officer said, "The FIR in this case was lodged in 2008. We found the phone in 2010 and arrested accused Salman Khan soon after." Khan told the police that as no one bought the phone, he started using it in 2010. That is when the police managed to trace him. He has also been sentenced to six months of imprisonment.

Confirming the developments, Pramod Babar, senior inspector, Andheri GRP, said, "Following the court orders, we returned the phones to the complainants. This year we have returned stolen goods to 175 people in different cases. Of those, 122 were mobile phones."

The rule
As per the investigation rules, whenever the cops trace the accused and recover the goods, they contact the complainants and ask them to file an application mentioning that they have got back their property. The cops also ask them to sign on a bond, which mentions that their goods have been returned, and that they would be present in court with the items whenever there would be witness examinations.

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