Railway commuter, Pranay Bhagat, was among thousands who got their lost phones back on Wednesday, thanks to some great railway policing
Phones recovered by the Railway police displayed at the Police Grounds in Ghatkopar. PIC/RAJENDRA B AKLEKAR
Pranay Bhagat is deeply grateful to the railway cops. On December 6, he had lost a brand new iPhone on the train and was dejected by the thought that he would never get it back. “I had bought the new iPhone just last month and lost it in the train at CSMT on Saturday. Since the phone was new, I had not activated its safety mechanisms. I tried to track it down, but couldn’t at my level. I had also filed a complaint with the railway police. I am so happy that I did so, because I got my device back. I’m so thankful to the railway cops,” Bhagat said.
He was among thousands of Mumbai railway commuters, many of them emotional and happy, who had turned up at a huge gathering on Wednesday at the Police Grounds in Ghatkopar — the headquarters of the railway police department — where their mobile phones stolen on the city’s local trains and stations were handed back to them after due verification.
A ‘wall of phones’ set up by the Railway police to display recovered devices. PICS/RAJENDRA B AKLEKAR
Wrapped in a brown envelope in a plastic cover, many opened the packets to find their phone intact. “Of course, the data was gone, but I got my phone back. It has resale value,” said Prathamesh Kadam.
How many phones...
“In total, 1018 phones have been returned to their original owners after due verification. Of these, 444 were recovered from Mumbai itself, 216 from Maharashtra and 358 from other states like Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. The total estimated value of the phones recovered is Rs 1.8 crore (Rs 1,80,33,668)," Mumbai railway police commissioner M Rakesh Kalasagar told mid-day.
These phones were recovered in the second phase of the operation between September and November 2025, stolen in the years 2023, 2024, and 2025. Under the first phase in June and July 2025, a total of 684 mobile phones worth R1,11,39,626 were recovered and returned to their owners on July 25.
Teams involved
During this special campaign, 28 teams from Central Railway and 29 from Western Railway — making a total of 57 teams — actively worked on this operation. Through their efforts, mobile phones stolen and taken across 17 states of India, and in Union Territories such as Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu, were traced and recovered.
Beneficiaries thrilled
Kaushik Somaiya had lost his phone in the train. Someone stole it at Dadar in May 2025. He had filed a complaint and forgotten about it when he got a call from the railway police about his device being recovered, and that he should come in to collect it. “The data inside the phone is gone, but my phone is back with me,” Kaushik said.
Rocky Pathak said he regretted the time he slept off in the train at GTB station, as when he woke up at CSMT, his phone was missing. He tried to call it, but no one answered. “I filed a complaint at CSMT police station, and here I am today, with my phone again. I thank the railway police for this,” he said.
This is how lost mobiles are found
Two-team approach
Unlike the city police, which hands you over a lost certificate, the railway police have an elaborate mechanism to track and trace lost mobile phones. Once a complaint is lodged and verified, two teams track the phones simultaneously
Tracking blocked phones
The stolen phone is never switched on immediately. But whenever it is switched on, even for a minute, the phone’s location is tracked using the IMEI number and the phone’s hardware. There are advanced mechanisms in place to get an alert
Teen sawal
M Rakesh Kalasagar, Railway police commissioner
What is the first thing to do when one loses a phone?
The commuter needs to call up our ‘1512’ helpline number, alert us, and file a complaint. We can then activate our mechanisms to track and trace the phone.
Can this be done online? Does one need to visit the police station?
Yes. Commuters can do it online, through the helpline. Once that is done, the complainant must visit the police station to complete due formalities, after which we begin the process.
How difficult is it to get phones back to their owners?
It is a detailed investigation. Our boys not only recover phones from Mumbai, but across Maharashtra and India, from states along the border as well.
Voices
Pranay Bhagat,
‘I was so happy that I filed a complaint, because I got my device back’
Kaushik Somaiya,
‘The data inside the phone is gone, but my phone is back with me’
Rocky Pathak,
‘I filed a complaint at CSMT police station, and here I am today, with my phone again’
Prathamesh Kadam,
‘Of course, the data was gone, but I got my phone back. It has resale value’
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