Tamando Police have arrested a 20-year-old interstate mobile thief after alert locals caught him red-handed while snatching a high-end smartphone at the crowded Kalinga Vihar market on Sunday evening.
The arrested individual has been identified as Anil Kumar Chauhan, a native of Sahibganj district in Jharkhand, currently residing in the Nayapalli area of Bhubaneswar.
According to police, the incident occurred around 8:49 PM on September 20 at the weekly market near the Shiva Temple in Kalinga Vihar. Taking advantage of the heavy weekend rush, the accused targeted complainant Swarup Kumar Mohanty and deftly snatched an iPhone 15 Pro from his pocket. However, alert bystanders spotted Chauhan attempting to flee, chased him down on the spot, and handed him over to the patrolling Tamando PCR team.
Police investigation revealed that Chauhan is a habitual inter-state offender targeting busy markets and crowded public places across Bhubaneswar, specifically eyeing expensive smartphones.
Officials noted that he already faces multiple theft and robbery cases registered against him at Capital Police Station.
Police have recovered the stolen iPhone 15 Pro—valued at around Rs 50,000—along with its original tax invoice. Based on a complaint lodged by Mohanty, a case (No. 410/2026) has been registered under Section 304(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
