The recent International Women's Day turned memorable for Nahida Mohammed and her daughter Yishita Yaritsa from Ollukkara in Thrissur, as they finally recovered a mobile phone they had lost nearly 15 months ago.

For Nahida, the recovery meant more than just getting back a device. The phone contained cherished photographs of her and her daughter that she had feared were lost forever. “Seeing those photos again was enough to make us twice as happy,” she said.

The phone went missing on December 12, 2024, when Nahida had come to Thrissur city with her daughter for an outing. It disappeared from her bag during the trip. Although the number rang when she called, no one answered, and the device was eventually switched off.

Nahida initially lodged a complaint at the East Police Station in Thrissur and later approached the cyber cell. She also registered the case on the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal, which alerts users if a new SIM card is inserted into a missing phone.

While reviewing CCTV footage, Nahida noticed a nomadic group in the area at the time and passed the information to the police. Despite repeatedly meeting officials to push for progress, the search showed little movement in the early stages.

At one point, Nahida and her daughter approached a woman from the group seeking help to retrieve the phone. The woman allegedly demanded ₹5,000 in return. However, when Nahida asked to see the device first, the woman claimed it was no longer with her.

Later, Nahida obtained a duplicate of the second SIM that had been in the phone. When she dialled the number, someone answered, and the cyber cell traced the signal to Kochi. Police there recovered only the SIM card from a man identified as Nisar.

Further investigation suggested that the phone had reached Mahesh, a native of Tamil Nadu who was reportedly moving around Thrissur. Determined to track it down, Nahida even visited an ashram where he was said to come for lunch and made inquiries.

For months, the search produced no breakthrough. The phone briefly switched on in Coimbatore before going offline again. Frustrated, Nahida later approached the Kerala Police City Police Commissioner directly, after which the investigation gathered pace and call records linked to the SIM were analysed.

With no updates for months, Nahida and her daughter eventually lost hope around August.

Their persistence paid off recently when Nahida received a message from the Kerala Police stating that the phone had been traced based on her complaint registered on the CEIR portal. Two days ago, the mother and daughter finally reclaimed the device — and with it, the precious memories stored inside.