From 2022 to date, 37,398 cases of phone theft have been registered with the Government Railway Police (GRP), Mumbai, but only 16,154 have been solved. Theft typically occurs on crowded trains and platforms, where passengers often don’t realise they’ve been targeted until much later
Theft typically occurs on crowded trains and platforms, where passengers often don’t realise they’ve been targeted until much later. Representation pic/istock
In Mumbai, the local train is famously called the city’s lifeline. But in today's world, the real lifeline for most people is their smartphone. It connects them to family, work, and the world, making its loss a serious disruption. And that’s exactly what’s happening: your lifeline might be snatched before your next stop.
From 2022 to date, 37,398 cases of phone theft have been registered with the Government Railway Police (GRP), Mumbai, but only 16,154 have been solved. Theft typically occurs on crowded trains and platforms, where passengers often don’t realise they’ve been targeted until much later. According to GRP data, Kalyan and Kurla stations top the list for most thefts. These hubs, ironically, are also among the most heavily policed.
“A lot of these thefts are carried out by rackets — small gangs of thieves who work together. We recently nabbed one such member, and when that happens, cases momentarily drop because these individuals steal several phones a day,” said a senior official from the Railway Police Crime Branch. The challenge: Most victims only notice their phone missing once they've exited the train. That makes it hard to trace the exact spot where the theft occurred.
“We register the FIR at the station where the victim realises the phone is missing and investigate from there,” explained PI Shahaji Nikam. “If it’s a clear robbery — where the phone is snatched in front of someone — we can quickly access CCTV footage and identify the culprit.” In 2023 alone, 12,989 phone theft cases were registered, with 5422 solved so far. In 2025, up to 3508 cases have already been reported — that’s an average of 135 thefts per week, with 1411 phones recovered.
“I lost my iPhone on May 25. I last used it while boarding at Kurla and realised it was missing at CSMT. I filed a case with the railway police, mainly for insurance purposes. I had to buy a new one for daily use, but I’ve received no updates,” said a commuter, requesting anonymity. Hotspots for theft are typically during rush hours, when passengers are boarding or exiting in large numbers. “Thieves take advantage of the chaos and close contact,” said Nikam.
Bluetooth to the rescue
Some commuters have managed to outsmart thieves. “I was travelling to Virar, listening to music via Bluetooth, when it suddenly disconnected. I moved slightly and it reconnected — that’s how I realised my phone had been stolen. I confronted the thief with help from fellow passengers and handed him over to the police at Virar,” said a college student.
A police inspector working on phone theft cases revealed, “Most petty thieves don’t know how to extract data. They just sell the phones in the second-hand market, especially iPhones, due to their high resale value.
But when rackets are involved, data theft is also a risk. That’s why we advise victims to immediately block all cards, accounts, and change passwords.”
Repeat offenders are tracked
One such offender, Mallesh Sharnappa Desai, has 20+ cases against him. GRP keeps tabs on habitual offenders like him to prevent repeat crimes, said a senior official. “There’s no foolproof way to prevent theft except by staying alert. Even bags get slashed open,” the official added. To counter the surge, GRP has increased police presence in known theft-prone zones and continues efforts to protect Mumbai’s lifeline — and its passengers’ digital lifelines, too.
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