Aussie influencer’s iPhone stolen during IPL final in Ahmedabad, recovered in Aligarh

Agra: Weeks after an iPhone 16 Pro Max went missing during the IPL final in Ahmedabad, the Aligarh police on Monday handed back the stolen device to Australian cricket influencer and content creator Jake Jackings.

The smartphone was stolen on May 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, where Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated the Gujarat Titans (GT). After initially tagging the Ahmedabad and Rajasthan police on X, Jackings posted a breakthrough on June 2, showing that the phone’s live location was tracked to Aligarh’s Rorawar area.

Taking cognisance of the viral social media appeal, Aligarh SSP Neeraj Jadaun deployed the district’s surveillance cell. A team led by SI Abhishek Gautam traced the device to a mobile repair shop in Shahjamal area.

An unidentified suspect had brought the phone to the shop to repair a broken back panel and bypass the security lock. While the suspect provided a fake phone number to the shop owner, investigators are currently using the merchant’s description to track him down.

“The phone has been handed over to its rightful owner. Efforts are underway to identify and arrest the person who brought it to the shop to connect the chain of how it traveled from Ahmedabad to Aligarh,” said SSP Neeraj Kumar Jadaun.

Jackings visited the police headquarters to collect his device, praising the team’s professionalism and emotional impact of the recovery. “Absolutely amazing service. This phone has my photos of my late grandad, memories from my high school ball, and memories of my pets who are no longer here,” Jackings said.