In an era where recovering a lost or stolen mobile phone is often considered a long shot, a police sub-inspector attached to the Anti-Terrorism Cell (ATC) of Dahisar police station has set an extraordinary benchmark by tracing and returning more than 3500 missing and stolen mobile phones to their rightful owners over the course of his career.
PSI Sham Ranshevare has turned mobile phone recovery into a mission. So meticulous is his approach that he has created his own comprehensive Excel-based tracking system for every missing or stolen phone reported at the police station. After complaints are registered on the government`s Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal, Ranshevare personally monitors each case and follows up relentlessly.
PSI Sham Ranshevare (extreme left) and Senior Inspector Sarjerao Patil (extreme right) return a phone to a victim at Dahisar police station on Tuesday
Ranshevare recalled that before the launch of the CEIR portal, mobile phones were traced primarily through their IMEI numbers. During his previous stint, at Samta Nagar police station, he recovered hundreds of devices using traditional tracking methods. Following the introduction of the CEIR portal, complaints of missing and stolen mobile phones began to be registered on the platform, significantly strengthening recovery efforts.
“Many people are unaware that the phone they purchased or received is stolen. Once informed, a large number voluntarily courier the device back or surrender it at their local police station,” Ranshevare said.
Sham’s method
Whenever a blocked mobile phone becomes active again, the CEIR system generates an alert indicating the state, district, and police station jurisdiction where the device is being used. Ranshevare then initiates correspondence with local police stations and the current holder of the phone.
PSI Sham Ranshevare of Dahisar police station uses the Excel-based tracking system to trace stolen or missing phones. PICS/SAMIULLAH KHAN
His records include detailed information, including the owner’s contact details, call logs, responses received, and follow-up actions. The database also provides state-wise statistics showing where stolen and missing phones from Mumbai have surfaced across the country.
How users are informed
PSI Sham Ranshevare of Dahisar police station uses the Excel-based tracking system to trace phones.
Whenever a person inserts a SIM card into a mobile phone reported stolen or missing on the CEIR portal, both the complainant and the police receive an alert. Investigators can then identify the mobile number being used in the handset and obtain subscriber details from the telecom service provider. Official notices are subsequently issued and sent via courier services, informing the user that they have a stolen or missing device. They are requested either to courier the handset to the police or surrender it at their nearest police station.
Career of excellence
Ranshevare told mid-day he had been posted at Dahisar police station for the past year and has successfully traced and returned more than 1250 missing or stolen mobile phones in his time there. Before Dahisar, he served at Samta Nagar police station and before that in the Detection Department of Dindoshi police station.
Top performer
Senior Inspector Sarjerao Patil said that under the guidance of Shashikumar Meena, additional commissioner, north region, and DCP Gajanan Rajmane, Dahisar police station currently ranks among the top-performing police stations in the north region and the third police station in Mumbai city for tracing missing mobile phones and returning them to their rightful owners.
Happy citizens
1 Dahisar resident Heman Parekh recently got back a Samsung Galaxy S24 that he lost nearly two years ago after accidentally leaving it behind in an autorickshaw. A few days ago, the Dahisar police traced the handset to Bhavnagar, Gujarat.
2 Loki Saw, 42, an auto driver, on Monday was handed over a phone that was stolen in 2023. He subsequently purchased another phone, but this was stolen similarly. Efforts are underway to trace the second device.
3 Anand Janardan Mote, who runs a plastic goods stall, on Monday regained a Redmi phone stolen nearly two months ago near his shop. Mote expressed his gratitude to the police, praising their efforts.
Regions to which phones have been traced this year
Area No of devices
Mumbai 914
Maharashtra 224
Uttar Pradesh East 365
Uttar Pradesh West 45
Gujarat 92
West Bengal 71
Karnataka 51
Madhya Pradesh 44
Rajasthan 41
Delhi 28
Andhra Pradesh 25
Tamil Nadu 14
Odisha 16
Kolkata 12
Haryana 7
Punjab 7
Jammu and Kashmir 7
Northeast 7
Kerala 4
Himachal Pradesh 2
Total 1976
Big data
According to records maintained in the Excel database, this year, the highest number of stolen and missing mobile phones has been traced to Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh (see table). Several other devices have also been found active in Jammu and Kashmir. The police are conducting daily follow-ups on these cases to ensure that the devices are recovered at the earliest, brought back to Mumbai, and returned to their rightful owners.
410
No of phones traced to UP this year
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