Valuables Back Home
Gandhinagar
Gujarat’s flagship initiative ‘Tera Tujhko Arpan’, launched in 2022, has emerged as a model for swiftly returning stolen and seized property to rightful owners without bureaucratic hurdles.
Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi informed the Assembly that police have organized 9,081 programmes so far, handing back valuables worth over Rs 500 crore to 40,811 beneficiaries. He said the initiative ensures that citizens are not forced to wait years for property lost to theft, robbery, or fraud.
“The aim is quick recovery. With fast court orders and public handover programmes, valuables are returned in the shortest possible time,” Sanghavi explained. In just the past week, goods worth Rs 112 crore were restored. In tribal districts including Surat, Navsari, Tapi, Dang, and Valsad, 2,315 people received assets worth over Rs 105 crore.
One notable case involved a tribal elder in Songadh who regained his house from a moneylender. In another, Surat Police solved a Rs 7.86 crore diamond heist within 48 hours and returned the gems to the owner in a week.
The programme’s transparent process—where police secure court approvals swiftly and return items during public events—has made it highly popular. Sanghavi described it as “a blessing for citizens.”
Inspired by Gujarat’s model, several states have launched similar efforts. Punjab Police in Jalandhar returned property worth Rs 13 crore, while Maharashtra Police distributed stolen goods in Nagpur, Nashik, Pune, and Mumbai. Karnataka, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh police have also run drives, collectively restoring assets worth several crores, from vehicles and jewelry to laptops and mobile phones.
