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Journalism of Courage
The Kalachowki police on Thursday arrested 16 people for allegedly stealing cellphones and other valuables from devotees who had turned up for Ganesh immersion to have a last glimpse of Lalbaugcha Raja and Ganpati idols from other major pandals in central Mumbai. Police said that of the total number arrested, six including a woman are from Ahmedabad, and had specially come to Mumbai to steal valuables from devotees in the procession.
Police officials said they had registered 13 cases of thefts of cellphones, gold ornaments, purses and other valuables at Kalachowki police station.
Senior police inspector Pramod Bhovte said, “We had special teams assigned in plain clothes to look for such robbers who sneak into the crowd to pickpocket phones, valuables from devotees. And we caught 16 such individuals who were caught red handed.”
Police have managed to recover eight cellphones and other valuables worth Rs 3.69 lakhs from the arrested persons. “The 16 accused were produced in court today and remanded in police custody for three days,” said Bhovte.
Officials further said that around 40 to 45 other instances of phones gone missing were also reported at Kalachowki police station. “We have lodged a missing complaint and are trying to recover their items,” an official said.
In another instance, police in south Mumbai reunited 23 children with their families after they went missing at Girgaon chowpatty. “The children got lost in the crowd. After parents reported the matter, our teams were sent across the chowpatty. They were traced and reunited with their families,” said an officer.
11 cases of phone thefts during Ganpati processions were registered at police stations in south Mumbai. “Apart from these cases, 15–20 other persons have also reported their missing phones. No case has been registered in these instances but we are trying to find their phones,” said an officer from DB Marg police station.
On the other hand, a 26-year-old man was booked for flying a drone at Girgaon chowpatty without taking permission from the police.
