Police chief comes to aid of desperate mom who bought stolen phone

Swati Subhash Sawre (centre) with Dhirendra Mehta, who gifted her a new phone for her son's studies

A woman purchased a secondhand mobile for her eight-year-old son so he could study online but ended up spending an entire day at the railway police station in Borivli as it turned out the phone was stolen. However, help also came to her in the form of her employer, city's top cop and a professor.

Swati Subhash Sawre, a Borivli resident, spent Rs 6,000 on the phone and then Rs 1,500 on repairs. After Sawre inserted the SIM card, police traced the location of the stolen phone and seized it. Sawre had saved up for three months to buy the phone and losing it would have resulted in her son's studies suffering for another three-four months.

Sawre's employer Kripa Jaising tweeted about the incident to Mumbai police. Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh took cognisance of the matter and ordered local DCP Vishal Thakur to help her.

DCP Thakur told mid-day, "After receiving the directions from the CP, we asked our police mitra team to help Sawre. Professor Dhirendra Mehta, who runs Mehta classes in Kandivli, said he would provide a new phone. We called Sawre and gifted her the new phone. A case regarding the phone's theft was registered with the GRP and they will conduct their probe."

Mehta said, "I was informed by the woman's position by DCP Vishal Thakur of Zone XI. With the help of police department, I gifted her a new phone for her son's studies. Kids' education should not stop due to lack of a phone."

GRP's investigation

Borivli GRP's senior police inspector Bhaskar Pawar, however, said that Sawre changed her statement about how she acquired the phone. "The woman first told us she found it in a rickshaw. Then she said she purchased it from someone. We have issued an arrest warrant against her but haven't apprehended her yet. She does not have a proof or purchase and the phone is stolen. She will have to give clarity on the matter in court."

Sawre told mid-day, "The railway police told me the phone is stolen and that I will have to go to court. I told them I bought the phone and whom I bought it from but they did not return it to me. So I informed my employer about the incident."

Keep scrolling to read more news

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news