‘Make stolen phones unusable’

Lucknow: Sarojininagar MLA Rajeshwar Singh has written to Union Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging the Centre to establish a stronger national mechanism to ensure that stolen mobile phones become unusable across the country.In his letter, Singh lauded the Central govt's initiatives, including the Sanchar Saathi portal and the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), which allow citizens to block, trace and recover lost or stolen mobile devices.Highlighting the growing threat of mobile phone theft, Singh said such crimes not only result in financial losses but also expose victims to risks involving personal data, digital identity, banking services and UPI-linked accounts. Citing official figures, he noted that more than 50 lakh mobile handsets have been blocked through CEIR, more than 31 lakh traced and more than 10 lakh recovered.To strengthen the system, Singh proposed integrating CEIR, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and state police FIR databases so that every reported stolen handset is automatically flagged at the national level. He also recommended creating a dedicated national database of stolen mobile phones.The MLA further suggested sharing verified stolen-device data with manufacturers, repair centres and online marketplaces to prevent activation, resale or reuse of stolen phones. He said making stolen devices commercially worthless would help curb theft, reduce cybercrime and enhance confidence in India's digital ecosystem.