Bengaluru police have arrested seven juveniles along with an adult handler for their alleged role in stealing 29 mobile phones during the opening match of IPL 2026 at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28.
Authorities suspect the group to be part of the notorious “Sahibganj gang,” an inter-state network known for targeting crowded public events.
According to investigators, the juveniles—hailing from the Tinpahar region in Jharkhand’s Sahibganj district—were reportedly brought to Bengaluru with the specific purpose of carrying out the thefts.
Each minor was allegedly offered Rs 5,000, while the gang arranged their travel, lodging, and meals. They were also assigned strict targets of stealing at least five phones each, with threats issued for non-compliance.
Acting on information provided by the detained minors, police later arrested the alleged mastermind, 26-year-old Shubham Kumar from Sahibganj.
The arrests began on the night of March 28 following multiple complaints from spectators who reported missing phones within and around the stadium premises.
Officials revealed that the gang’s activities extended beyond the stadium, with members operating in nearby crowded zones, including metro stations.
Of the 29 devices recovered so far, 14 are iPhones. The accused reportedly travelled to Bengaluru in phases, using a mix of flights from Patna along with road and rail transport.
The investigation has also drawn parallels with similar theft incidents during IPL 2025. On March 28 last year, 38 phones were reported stolen at a match in Chennai’s M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.
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Additionally, a total of 74 phones were stolen during matches held in Bengaluru on March 22 and in Chennai.
In the Chennai case, police had registered around 20 complaints and used CCTV footage to trace suspects to lodges in Vellore.
This led to multiple arrests involving both adults and minors, with several stolen devices later returned to victims following court directives.
However, the case faced a setback when a metropolitan magistrate granted default bail to the accused on June 4, 2025, due to the failure to file a chargesheet within the stipulated 60-day period.
The trial remains ongoing, and the accused have reportedly failed to appear in court despite summons issued on February 19 and March 23, 2026.
In a related development, one of the accused in the Chennai case, Rajkumar Noniya, was rearrested in September 2025 along with Suraj Kumar Noniya (35) and a 17-year-old in connection with alleged thefts at a fish market near Marina Beach.
Police describe the gang as highly mobile, typically operating in one city for a brief period before shifting locations.
During IPL 2025, members are believed to have stayed in Vellore while carrying out coordinated thefts in both Bengaluru and Chennai, gaining entry into stadiums using black-market tickets or misused complimentary passes.
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