Mumbai Local Trains Report More than 100 Mobile Phones Theft Daily

A matter of concern for authorities is that daily at least 100 theft cases of mobile are filed
across the city in the GRP 16 divisions.

At least 10 cases were registered every day in each police station on an average, said the
Officials. 18,000 mobile thefts were registered in 2017 across suburban railway network.
There were unreported cases also where the commuters hesitated to reach the police station to
file complaints as they did not have any expectations from the police in retrieving their
phones. Majority of such crimes were done by a group of youngsters in ages 16 to 25 years.

Deputy Commission of Police, Purshottam Karad (Western Railway GRP) said last year the
phone thefts were a burst and in May 2017, 126 cases were reported and in June this
increased to 1,187 numbers that FIRs were registered, said GRP crime branch officer.

Karad, said, ‘we are taking action against robbers entering ticketless or if found hiding behind
the poles to hit the train commuters on footboard’. The moment the phone fall from the
hands, they pick it and disappear into the Mahim and Bandra mangroves or slums, said GRP
crime branch senior inspector, S Dhanwate.

GRP assistant commissioner of police, Machindra Chavan said the stations CCTVs do not
cover tracks. So, from now onwards each GRP will patrol the tracks. He also said ‘We will
round up the pick-pockets and criminal records in our jurisdiction and slap cases as additional
precaution’.