Diwali delight: Mumbai cops return lost, stolen valuables worth Rs 13 crore to rightful owners

Mumbai, Oct 22 (PTI) The Mumbai police have returned lost and stolen valuables, including jewellery and mobile phones, worth over Rs 13 crore to their rightful owners across the city, officials said on Wednesday.

The initiative was part of a recovery campaign launched by the city cops since the beginning of the Diwali festival, an official said.

He said a grand ceremony was organised at the Mukesh Patel Auditorium in Vile Parle, where valuables worth Rs 6.45 crore, recovered by police Zones 9 and 10, were handed over to citizens, bringing smiles to their faces.

As they got back their mobile phones, jewellery, vehicles, and watches, the delighted owners described the event as a “Diwali gift” from the police, the official said.

In Zones 3, 4, and 5 in central Mumbai, a similar initiative resulted in the return of 1,464 stolen mobile phones valued at nearly Rs 3 crore, along with gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 21.87 lakh.

More than 350 recipients personally collected their belongings, he said.

In Zone 12, which covers the Dahisar area, the cops recovered 689 mobile phones, 2.25 kilograms of gold jewellery, and several vehicles, while Zone 8 traced valuables worth Rs 1.66 crore, including 202 missing mobiles and electronic gadgets, he said.

In Zone 2 in south Mumbai, the police handed over assets worth Rs 1.10 crore, including cash, mobile phones and gold, whereas in Zone 6, which has jurisdiction over the eastern suburbs, over 8,000 phones were tracked, recovered and returned to their rightful owners.

Senior officials said the campaign was aimed at spreading happiness and building trust between the public and police. PTI DC NR