‘Phones stolen during Bengaluru IPL match’: Fans raise alarm after RCB vs SRH game, police yet to confirm theft angle

BENGALURU: A few IPL cricket fans had a bitter experience last Saturday during the match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), as at least 25 spectators lost their mobile phones.

However, police clarified that it is not confirmed whether all the phones were stolen inside the stadium; some people may have lost their phones outside the stadium and only realised they were missing upon entering or exiting the venue.

At least seven suspects have been identified and are being interrogated. As of now, the suspects are minors and only being questioned. There is no confirmation on whether they were involved in the thefts or are part of an organised syndicate.

One of the victims, Ritu Tiwary, a digital creator, posted about the ordeal on Instagram, stating that her husband's mobile phone was stolen. Ritu said, "It's my request — please be careful about your phones if you are attending an IPL match, because yesterday at least 50 to 60 phones were stolen from P3 stand alone, including my husband's. My husband realised his phone was missing after the first innings when he went to get us some drinking water."

"Then we approached the stadium police for help, but they were least interested. So we went to the police station, where many people were already complaining about similar incidents. We lodged an FIR. They have allegedly caught 10 to 12 kids, and they were all minors dressed in jerseys and had complimentary tickets. I think this is an organised crime because, when I searched online, similar incidents were reported at the Chennai and Wankhede stadiums as well. These incidents mostly happen during the second innings, when people step out for refreshments. I request strict action and better security, or this will continue in upcoming matches," she added.

Joint commissioner of police (west) C Vamsi Krishna said, "It is not correct to generalise that the phones were lost inside the stadium. That is based on where victims realise the loss. It may have occurred inside or outside (the stadium). I myself found an elderly person who lost his phone at CTO Junction and made his e-lost report. It will take time for us to piece together the sequence of events. We are investigating the matter and registering FIRs for all e-lost reports. We will not spare anyone if theft is confirmed."

Another senior officer said the minors detained are at a reformation centre. "We cannot confirm they are accused yet; they are only suspects. No one was allowed inside the stadium without a valid ticket."

"The numbers mentioned by Tiwary may not be accurate, and the claims about minors being caught are also under verification. All the statements made by Tiwary and others are part of the ongoing investigation," the officer added.

"In general, during large gatherings, such incidents are reported. Victims often mention the place where they realised the loss, not necessarily where it occurred. We cannot rule out the possibility of someone with a valid ticket committing the theft. It would be premature to draw conclusions," yet another officer said.