Gonda: In a major relief for residents, Gonda Police have recovered 251 lost mobile phones worth approximately ₹55.22 lakh and returned them to their rightful owners. Superintendent of Police, Gonda, handed over the recovered devices to the owners on Thursday as part of an initiative undertaken during the Sharadiya Navratri period.
The recovery was carried out by a joint team comprising police personnel from 17 police stations and the district Surveillance Cell. According to the police, complaints regarding 603 lost mobile phones were registered on the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal between July 1 and October 13, 2026. Of these, 251 phones have been recovered, while efforts are underway to trace the remaining devices.
The recovered phones included models from Apple, Samsung, Vivo, Oppo, Tecno, Redmi and OnePlus. Kotwali Nagar accounted for the highest number of recoveries among the police stations, with 55 devices, followed by Colonelganj with 21 and Khodare with 16. The nodal team independently recovered 53 phones.
The recovery drive was conducted through regular monitoring of complaints registered on the government-operated CEIR portal and coordination between the Surveillance Cell and police stations. Recipients expressed gratitude to the police after getting their lost phones back.
The police have advised citizens to download the Sanchar Saathi app from the Play Store. In case of a lost phone, owners should approach their local police station with the purchase bill, IMEI details, Aadhaar card and other identification documents to register a complaint on the CEIR portal. Updates regarding recovery can be received on the registered mobile number.
Police officials said similar mobile phone distribution programmes would continue in the district. The recovery operation was led by Inspector Ashutosh Singh, in-charge of the SWAT team, and Sub-Inspector Manish Kumar, in-charge of the Surveillance Cell, along with personnel from the SWAT team, Surveillance Cell and police stations across Gonda.
