DoT and RPF collaborate to recover lost mobile phones

The Ministry of Railways’ Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) have teamed up to make it easier to retrieve stolen and misplaced mobile phones on trains. By integrating the Rail Madad app with the Sanchar Saathi portal of the Department of Telecommunications, the programme enables travellers to report missing mobile devices. Indian Railways developed the Rail Madad app to help passengers address and resolve problems or grievances encountered while travelling by train.

To disable a stolen device and initiate the recovery process, complaints lodged via the Rail Madad app will be directly imported into the Sanchar Saathi portal. The Ministry stated that, to ensure coverage across India’s railway network, the onboarding of 17 RPF zones and over 70 RPF divisions onto the Sanchar Saathi system has begun.

Mobile phones are among the most commonly misplaced or lost items on trains and at railway stations. The DoT and RPF will collaborate to track and retrieve passengers’ lost or stolen mobile phones. In a statement released on Thursday, the Ministry of Communications announced that the Rail Madad app is now being integrated with the Sanchar Saathi platform of the Department of Telecommunications.

More than 250 RPF officers and DoT’s LSA (Licensed Service Area) field units participated in a training session to familiarise themselves with the Sanchar Saathi portal and its mobile safety features. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary (Telecom), emphasised the importance of technology in preventing crime. To ensure swift action and recovery, passengers are advised to report lost or stolen mobile phones using the Sanchar Saathi portal.

According to the Ministry, since its launch, the Sanchar Saathi platform has successfully recovered 3.87 lakh mobile phones, blocked over 30 lakh devices, and traced 18 lakh. The police forces of Telangana, Maharashtra, and Karnataka have played a key role in using the platform to retrieve mobile phones. The Sanchar Saathi app also allows citizens to report incidents of cybercrime and cyber fraud involving the misuse of telecom resources. The app is available for download from both the iOS and Android app stores.