New Delhi, Oct 09: In a surprising turn of events, a phone stolen from a Russian tourist could be traced, due to the promptness and swift response of Indian Railways’ GRP and RPF officials. The phone stolen in August could be traced in October due to a location tracking feature of a popular social media app.
Nina Nikonorova, a Russian tourist, was travelling on the Gaya-Kamakhya Express on 17th August 2024. As the train was passing over River Falgu in Bihar, Nina was recording videos of the beautiful views outside. Her hand was hit with a stick and before Nina could comprehend what was happening, her mobile phone was snatched away. In shock, Nina immediately reported the theft to the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Gaya, Sheikhpura and Kamakhya Railway stations. The GRP lodged her complaint under Sections 304 (02), 313 and 317 (05) of the Indian Penal Code.
Following Nina’s complaint, the GRP, along with the Railway Protection Force (RPF), launched a coordinated search operation. Within days, two individuals, Pintu Kumar and Sajan Kumar, were apprehended. Upon their arrest, the police recovered three stolen mobile phones, although Nina's phone was still missing. The suspects soon revealed that the mobile is in possession of Manpur, Bihar’s resident Sahil Paswan, who allegedly struck Nina and snatched away her phone.
Nina returned to Russia after the trip, but the case took an unexpected turn when she received a notification via her smartphone’s iCloud in October that her stolen phone had become active in Nagpur, Maharashtra. She quickly relayed this information to the GRP & RPF team through email, providing them with the phone's latest location. This proved to be a crucial turning point in the investigation. The team in Nagpur was soon alerted, and with the help of the app’s location data, they traced the stolen phone to Sahil Paswan. Further raids are now underway to ensure his arrest and the recovery of the phone.
Police have now identified Sahil Paswan as the main culprit in the theft. Efforts are being made to apprehend him and recover the stolen phone. RPF and GRP teams are conducting joint raids in Gaya and surrounding areas to locate the final suspect. Nina’s quick reporting, GRP & RPF teams’ promptness and modern technology proved instrumental in cracking this case.
