Indian woman tracks stolen Samsung phone, exposes theft racket after cops fail

In a striking example of citizen-led problem-solving, a Mumbai-based software engineer successfully recovered her stolen mobile phone after local police allegedly failed to take prompt action, eventually leading to the exposure of a phone theft racket in the holy city.

Ankita Gupta, a software engineer from Mumbai, had her Samsung S-23 Ultra smartphone stolen on December 30 while she was visiting Varanasi. After discovering the theft, she approached the Bhelupur police station and lodged a complaint.

Police Failed To Trace

However, despite repeated follow-ups, the police were unable to trace the stolen device, prompting Ankita to take the investigation into her own hands.

Leveraging her technical expertise and with assistance from a few engineer friends, Ankita managed to track the real-time location of her phone using digital tools. The location led her to a specific address in Varanasi. She then alerted the police and reached the spot herself.

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Police personnel arrived at the location later and, upon opening the premises, made a shocking discovery. Around 15 to 20 stolen mobile phones were recovered from the site, including three to four iPhones, indicating the presence of an organised phone theft racket operating in the area. Ankita was able to recover her stolen Samsung device from among the seized phones.

Praises On Social Media

The incident gained widespread attention after it surfaced on social media and in the media, raising serious questions about police responsiveness. Following public outrage, Rohit Tripathi, the chowki in-charge at Assi Ghat, was suspended in connection with the case.

The incident has sparked a larger debate on accountability and efficiency within law enforcement. Many have praised Ankita Gupta’s determination and technical skills, calling her actions an example of how citizens are increasingly forced to ‘debug the system’ when institutional mechanisms fail.

Authorities have stated that further investigation into the theft racket is underway.