175 Snatchers Held, 304 Stolen Mobile Phones Recovered During Puri Rath Yatra
Police return first batch of 100 recovered phones to devotees as special anti-snatching drive cracks down on festival thefts.
Odisha’s Puri Police have arrested 175 alleged snatchers and recovered 304 stolen mobile phones during a special anti-snatching drive conducted in connection with this year's Rath Yatra, officials said on Tuesday.
The recovered phones were returned to their owners at a “Mobile Mela” organised at the Puri Town Police Station, where the first batch of 100 devices was handed over to victims.
According to police, a dedicated anti-snatching team was constituted under the supervision of Puri Superintendent of Police Prateek Singh to curb thefts and snatching incidents during the annual festival, which attracts lakhs of devotees from across the country.
The team, comprising personnel from various police stations in the district and the Cyber Police Station, carried out round-the-clock surveillance in plain clothes at vulnerable and high-footfall locations, including the Grand Road, the precincts of the Jagannath Temple, the sea beach, bus stand and other crowded areas.
During the operation, police arrested 175 alleged offenders and recovered 304 stolen mobile phones besides other valuables. After verification, the recovered items were returned to their rightful owners, with more handovers planned in subsequent phases.
“My mobile phone was stolen from my bag during Suna Besha. I had almost lost hope of getting it back. With Lord Jagannath's blessings and the efforts of the police, I have got it back,” said Sandeep Behera, one of the beneficiaries.
Puri SP Prateek Singh said the large influx of pilgrims during Rath Yatra often provides opportunities for criminal elements to target devotees.
“To prevent such incidents, we formed a dedicated anti-snatching team that conducted extensive surveillance throughout the festival. The operation led to the arrest of 175 snatchers and the recovery of 304 stolen mobile phones along with other valuables. In the first phase, we have returned 100 mobile phones to their owners,” he said.
Police said efforts were on to trace the owners of the remaining recovered devices and return them after due verification.
