Chinnaswamy Stadium became a hub for phone thieves during IPL opener? Bengaluru Police say...

The opening IPL match of the season between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday witnessed scores of Bengalureans losing their phones. According to local media reports, an organised criminal gang orchestrating a theft spree at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium cannot be ruled out.

Around eight cases of missing mobile phones have been reported to the Cubbon Park police, The Times of India said in a report. According to the daily, preliminary information available to the police personnel on the spot suggests around 12 phones may have gone missing during the game. Some cases may involve pickpocketing, while others could be due to phones being misplaced or accidentally dropped in the crowd, an officer was quoted as telling TOI.

As many as five people who lost their phones reported the incident at the police station, while three others made use of the e-lost portal. The Bengaluru Police reportedly said that it will take a couple of days to gain clarity on the total number of missing phones. Most incidents have been reported near Gate No. 3. Police are analysing CCTV footage, the TOI report said.

Meanwhile, another report claimed that several mobile phones were stolen from the P3 stand of the stadium alone. “During the first innings, when my husband went to get water, his phone was stolen. Like us, many others lost their phones at the same time and were left distressed,” TV9 Marathi quoted a woman stating on social media.

She alleged that the response from the policemen at the stadium was lukewarm when they approached for help, even after reporting the issue to the officers present. Later, when they went to the police station to register a complaint, they found hundreds of people standing in line to file similar reports. In connection with the case, the police have reportedly detained 10 to 12 minors, TV9 Marathi said.