Kudos to the Goa Police for returning 50 recovered mobile phones to their rightful owners thereby bringing relief to citizens across the state who had reported theft or loss of their phones. Inspector General of Police (IGP) Keshav Ram Chaurasia has reportedly urged the public to verify second-hand phones before buying them. Possessing a stolen mobile phone can lead to arrest and punishment under Section 411 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) or Section 66B of the Information Technology Act (IT Act), with penalties including imprisonment, fines, or both. To avoid this, one needs to verify the IMEI number of any pre-owned phone, promptly report lost or stolen phones to the police and immediately deposit the handset at the police station. If one finds that the mobile is missing, the phone should be blocked across all telecom networks making the handset unusable with any SIM card. Filing a First Information Report with the police is essential to protect oneself from liability if the stolen phone is used in a crime. A close watch needs to be maintained on shops selling pre-owned phones.
