Pune: In a significant achievement, the Wakad Police Station, operating under the Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissionerate, has successfully recovered and returned 137 stolen or lost mobile phones, collectively valued at around ₹40 lakh. These phones, belonging to various brands, were traced not only within Maharashtra but also from states including Bihar, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Madhya Pradesh.
This large-scale recovery was part of a special operation initiated under the guidance of Police Commissioner Vinay Kumar Choubey, Joint Commissioner Dr. Shashikant Mahavarkar, and Additional Commissioner Sarang Awad. The campaign was strategically executed across the Pimpri-Chinchwad region, with Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 1) Vishal Gaikwad and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Wakad Division) Sunil Kurade overseeing its progress.
The Wakad Police team, led by Senior Police Inspector Nivrutti Kolhatkar and supported by officers Shahaji Dhyagude and Priya Pawar, formed a dedicated unit for the mission. Leveraging the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal, the team effectively tracked the missing mobile devices. In many instances, the phones were returned through voluntary cooperation by current holders, while in others, retrieval involved legal intervention or logistical coordination via courier services.
This initiative highlights the critical role mobile phones play in everyday life, and the significant distress users experience upon their loss, especially given the personal and confidential data often stored on these devices. Recipients of the recovered phones expressed heartfelt gratitude towards the police for their determined and methodical efforts.
Remarkably, this is not the first success of its kind for Wakad Police. Back in December 2014, they had returned mobile phones valued at ₹10 lakh. In the past six months alone, they have reunited owners with 247 mobile phones worth nearly ₹60 lakh. The mobile recovery drive continues actively, reaffirming the commitment of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police to public service and technological enforcement.
