New Delhi: Two Union ministers and at least nine other participants allegedly had their phones stolen during BJP leader Arun Jaitley’s funeral at Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat Sunday.
Union ministers Babul Supriyo and Som Prakash, and Patanjali spokesperson S.K. Tijarawala were among those struck by thieves during the final sendoff to the former finance minister. It is learnt that a few journalists’ phones were stolen too.
Tijarawala took to Twitter Monday to inform Delhi Police about the alleged crime.
In the series of tweets, Tijarawala added screenshots of his phone’s estimated location — details obtained through Google’s phone-tracking facility — throughout Sunday.
Babul Supriyo too posted a tweet about his phone getting stolen at the funeral. He said he even tried to catch the thief’s hand but he “slipped away”.
Chori nehi Dada. Bohot smartly pickpocket kar kia gaya•that push & over 6 of us lost our phones in one single spot! I had even caught the guy’s hand while trying to save myself from tumbling over but it slipped away. I am told at least 35 people got their phones pickpocked? https://t.co/I7BqUsz88y
— Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) August 26, 2019
A report in Hindustan Times quoted Supriyo as saying that his secretary lost his phone too. “There was a spot where some water was logged and therefore the area got crowded. I think it was the spot where the pickpockets targeted the visitors,” he was quoted as saying, “We have given complaints and FIRs have been registered.”
‘Only five complaints’
However, while Tijarawala claimed 11 people had their phones stolen, police claim to have received only five formal complaints.
Talking to ThePrint, additional DCP (north) Harendra Kumar Singh said, “We have registered five FIRs since we’ve received as many complaints.”
Singh also questioned Tijarawala’s claim. “Unless one is an investigating agency, how can one assume 11 phones have been stolen and put it out there?”
None of the stolen phones has been traced so far.
Responding to concerns that such a high-security event didn’t prove to be safe, he said, “Mr Jaitley’s wasn’t the only cremation. There were several parallel cremations on at Nigambodh Ghat, so we don’t from where the pickpocketing incident took place. Besides, the torrential rain lead to waterlogging and if a phone fell, one won’t find it.”
Also read: In Photos: Allies, rivals come together to bid farewell as Arun Jaitley is cremated