Over 100 phones stolen at concert; no arrests yet

Lack of light, hazy CCTV footage yields no result; cops compile list of habitual offenders

Last weekend's VH1 Supersonic concert that took place at Mahalaxmi Lawns on Nagar Road turned out to be a dismal experience for over 100 people, whose phones were stealthily whisked off when they were indulging in music. Around 120 cases were lodged with Vimantal police station as the three-day concert concluded on February 9.

When the grievances piled after the event, the cops thought that a few gadgets could have been misplaced. However, the rising number - reiterating similar ordeals - underscored the gravity of the situation, following which cops began collecting statements.

IT professional Gouresh Kambli believes that his phone went missing around the time when he was queuing at a counter. "At that time, most of the stalls that were serving drinks had winded up. I was waiting in one of the two queues to the remaining counters. When I was walking to my spot after collecting the drink, I realised that my phone had gone missing. At first I thought I had dropped it, but that wasn't the case," Kamli said, who then immediately alerted the cops. By then, three more people had suffered through similar experience and the FIR was filed.

Another concert attendee, Sneha Zala, had purchased her iPhone 11 merely two months ago. It went missing while she was queuing for drinks. "I could sense someone touching the back pocket of my trouser, but I ignored thinking that these things happen when it is crowded. I am a student and have been pulled up for this at home," she said.

The victims even requested the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage. However, the bad light coupled with hazy quality of cameras did not yield a resolution. Moreover, the back covers of these phones were dumped in corners.

Now, the cops have taken the bunch of grievances seriously and are compiling a list of the habitual offenders - ones who are infamous for such notorious crimes. They haven't been able to track down the thief. They have not stalled the possibility of this occurrence being a group activity.

Vimantal police station's inspector Balwant Mandge told Mirror , "We have taken statement of all the people whose phones have been stolen. Most of these mobiles are made by Apple. We are also checking with the organisers while we also gather a list of habitual offenders."

The slow procedural in raising anxiety among a few attendees, like Nidhi Uttamchandi. She too lost her months-old iPhone. "I have been making rounds of the police station every day. I am being assured that they will look for it soon, but there is no success," she rued.