New smartphone provided by UP CM stolen from beneficiary at Ghaziabad venue

A 27-year-old man, who was provided a smartphone as part of a government scheme, in the presence of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday, has alleged that his new device was “snatched” by an unidentified person in the crowded venue, senior police officers said on Thursday.

The recipient, Manoj Kumar, said he is a law graduate from Meerut and a person with disability. He said he attended the event on Wednesday and his new smartphone under the scheme was handed over to him by his teachers.

“When I was returning to my seat with the new phone, someone snatched it from my hand. I thought that someone known to me had taken it and will return it. However, I waited for about an hour and also enquired with people around about my phone, but it could not be found,” said Kumar.

He said he informed the police and they asked him to change his complaint from one of “snatching” to “phone missing”.

“I initially gave them a complaint that my phone was snatched and they asked me to change it to a phone missing complaint instead. I did as they asked,” said Kumar.

The CM’s event was held at Ghanta Ghar Ramlila ground on Wednesday.

The CM was in town to dedicate and lay the foundation stone for projects worth ₹757 crore and to inaugurate a job fair. He also distributed tablets and smartphones to young men and women, besides loans exceeding ₹327 crore to 632 beneficiaries.

“The complainant was in B2 section at the venue. The entire venue and outside areas were under heavy police security. He probably lost his mobile phone in the crowd or someone may have taken it by mistake. There is no chance that some outsider snatched his mobile. All those present in the section were students and verified beneficiaries. Someone may have taken the phone by mistake and we will find it,” said Rajesh Kumar, DCP (city).