Bhubaneswar: Mobile phones stolen from devotees during Rath Yatra in Puri were returned on Tuesday after police tracked and recovered them. Puri SP Prateek Singh said 175 snatchers were arrested and 304 mobile phones recovered during the festival. “Details of several recovered phones have been uploaded on our social media platforms to help identify the rightful owners,” he said.Police said the safety of lakhs of devotees, maintenance of public order and crime prevention were accorded the highest priority during the festival. A anti‑snatching team was formed to curb thefts, keeping constant watch over crowded stretches such as the Grand Road, Jagannath Temple vicinity, bus stands, the beach, and other sensitive points with personnel deployed in plain clothes.“As a result of the well‑planned operation, 175 snatchers were arrested during the festival period between July 16 and 27. Criminal cases have been registered against all of them,” Singh said. Officials noted that technology, CCTV surveillance, intelligence inputs, plain‑clothes deployment, quick response teams and seamless coordination among police stations enabled swift identification and arrest of offenders.
