How Does Gujarat's ‘Tera Tujhko Arpan’ Initiative Return Stolen Goods Worth Rs 500 Crore to Citizens?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 'Tera Tujhko Arpan' has returned over Rs 500 crore in stolen goods.
- The initiative has conducted 9,081 events across Gujarat.
- It aims to restore property to victims quickly, reducing bureaucratic delays.
- Other states are adopting similar models to enhance recovery efforts.
- Community trust in law enforcement has improved thanks to this initiative.
Gandhinagar, Sep 8 (NationPress) Gujarat's innovative initiative ‘Tera Tujhko Arpan’, which started in 2022, has set a benchmark for the rapid return of stolen and seized assets to their rightful owners, eliminating bureaucratic delays.
In response to an Assembly inquiry, Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi revealed that since its inception, the police have conducted 9,081 events statewide, successfully returning belongings valued at over Rs 500 crore to 40,811 beneficiaries.
“Our objective is to prevent innocent citizens from enduring prolonged delays in reclaiming property taken during incidents of theft, robbery, or fraud. With swift court orders and community handover events, we aim to return property in the least amount of time,” Sanghavi stated.
In just the past week, property worth Rs 112 crore was returned. Tribal districts have greatly benefited as well -- in Surat, Navsari, Tapi, Dang, and Valsad, 2,315 individuals received valuables totaling over Rs 105 crore.
In a remarkable case, a tribal elder in Songadh successfully reclaimed his home that had been taken over by a moneylender.
Sanghavi noted the Gujarat Police's prompt actions in high-profile incidents, mentioning the Rs 7.86 crore diamond theft in Surat, which was resolved within 48 hours, with the recovered diamonds returned to the owner within a week.
The minister emphasized the program's appeal due to its transparent procedures -- police stations quickly obtain court orders and facilitate the return of seized items through public ceremonies, making the scheme a true “blessing for citizens.”
Similar to Gujarat's “Tera Tujhko Arpan”, other states have initiated their own programs to return stolen or seized items to rightful owners. In Punjab, Jalandhar Police organized an “Arpan Samaroh” in December 2024, returning property valued at Rs 13 crore, including vehicles, jewelry, and mobile devices.
Maharashtra has also taken proactive steps -- during Raising Day celebrations in January 2025, Nagpur Police returned items worth over Rs 3 crore, while Nashik Police held multiple “muddemal” events, returning goods valued between Rs 51 lakh and Rs 97 lakh. In Karnataka, police returned valuables worth Rs 2 crore, while Kalaburagi Police returned stolen assets of Rs 56 lakh. Pune Police distributed stolen items worth Rs 5.31 crore, and Mumbai Police returned nearly Rs 3 crore in items, including jewelry, laptops, and vehicles.
In West Bengal, Bidhannagar Police conduct regular drives to recover lost items such as motorbikes, phones, and laptops. Meanwhile, in Andhra Pradesh, Vizag Police successfully recovered and returned property valued at Rs 1.2 crore in July 2025, in addition to thousands of mobile phones traced through digital tracking.