Kottayam: In a swift operation, the Chingavanam police recovered a bag containing cash and a mobile phone and returned it to its owner within just 15 minutes of receiving a complaint.

The incident took place around 7:00 pm on Thursday. Baiju (Veeralassery, Malakunnam), a fish vendor in Kottayam town, was riding his motorbike home after the day’s work when his bag carrying ₹25,000 in cash and his phone accidentally fell by the roadside.

Unable to trace it after an initial search, Baiju lodged a complaint with the Chingavanam police at 8 pm. Acting swiftly with assistance from the Cyber Cell, the police pinpointed the phone’s location to the Kurichy area.

A police team, accompanied by Baiju, immediately set out for Kurichy. Meanwhile, a local resident, Rejimon (Thoniparambil, Malakunnam), and his wife, Vidya, who had found the bag lying on the road, were just preparing to take it to the Chingavanam police station. When the officers dialled the number of the lost phone, Vidya answered and informed them that they were about to head to the station.

The police instead drove directly to Rejimon’s house, where the cash and phone were formally handed back to a relieved Baiju in the presence of the officers.

The police team comprised Station House Officer (SHO) Ajmal Shah, Sub-Inspector K S Abhilash, and officers U R Prince, C R Rinku, and Sirajudin.