Indore: 475 smartphones meant for students stolen from GACC

Indore: More than 475 smartphones meant for distribution among students under a state government scheme were stolen from Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Arts and Commerce College also known as GACC.  The theft came to fore when students lined up for the smartphones were told to return and come some other day to collect handsets.

Under a government scheme, smartphones are to be given for free to students attending at least 75 per cent of lectures in the first year. About 1,000 students of the GACC were to be given smartphones on Wednesday.  The distributors had supplied smartphones to the college on Tuesday and were kept in management block.

On Wednesday morning, eligible students lined up for smartphones. For nearly four hours they were told that they would be given phones soon. But they were later told to come some other day which led to a demonstration by students. Later they were told that some boxes of smartphones were stolen on Tuesday night.

The college authorities had learnt about the theft on Tuesday night itself but a complaint about it was lodged with the police on Wednesday evening.

According to information, guard of the college noticed locks of management building broken about 9:30 pm on Tuesday.  He immediately called up college authorities but police complaint was not lodged on Tuesday night.

Why phones kept in management block?

CCTV cameras are installed in the college campus. Only management block, which was constructed about two years back, is not under CCTV surveillance. Despite the fact that it lacks CCTV cameras, smartphones were kept in management blocks. Management department head Kumbhan Khandelwal said that the decision to keep smartphones in management block was taken by college principal. He stated that the value of stolen phone was about Rs 11 lakh.