Mahesh Shantaram writes on his Facebook wall:
On October 2nd, my mobile phone was stolen. The thief was caught on October 25th. Of the more than 40 phones he had stolen, he made the mistake of keeping mine for himself. My thoughts:
1. I had to get a court order for the police to legally release the phone from their custody. This picture goes to the court as ‘proof’ that the transaction is complete. The System exists, and the System works, but I am amazed and amused by how the System sees photography as a tool for evidence gathering and documentation.
2. Amongst the thief’s personal pictures on the phone, there is one of his mother (I’m guessing) proudly showing of her new phone. I wonder if she wonders, as I wonder, whether it was all worth it. Her son gets to spend the next five years in Bangalore Central Jail to come up with a new business plan.
Mahesh receives his phone back from the police. Pic: Mahesh Shantaram.
⊕