Residents of a Haryana village smashed as many as 55 expensive phones as part of a community campaign to sever ties with crime and cut smartphone addiction. A video of the incident, showing some men destroying the phones in Sukhpuri village in Nuh district, has gone viral on social media.
The young men in the video pledged to join the mainstream of society and lead their lives with integrity, hard work and respect for the law.
Police said the move followed a panchayat decision to completely ban smartphones in the village. The governing body has now decided to switch to keypad phones, saying the goal is to keep youngsters away from cybercrime, reduce their dependence on smartphones, and motivate them to embrace an honest life.
According to officials, Nuh Superintendent of Police Dr Arpit Jain had recently launched a special awareness campaign encouraging individuals involved in criminal activities to abandon crime and follow the law. Inspired by the campaign, the youth decided to take the symbolic step.
During the programme, they vowed to cut all links with their past criminal associations and activities, setting an example for others in the community.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Abhishek Khatkar said the incident took place last week following the panchayat’s decision. Asaf Ali, a villager from Sukhpuri, said, “It was a symbolic initiative. We cannot stop everyone, but if the young people stay away from mobile phones, they will stop getting involved in cybercrime.”
Khatkar and other police officials were present at the event. They praised the young men’s decision, saying the police’s objective is not only to take action against offenders but also to provide opportunities for reform and rehabilitation. They added that the police are ready to extend all possible support to those who wish to leave crime behind and adopt a normal, law-abiding life.
The village sarpanch said the initiative received wholehearted support from the community. Residents encouraged the youths to stay away from crime and focus on education, employment and social welfare activities.
The decision comes amid concern over cybercrime in Nuh. Police have identified as many as 60 villages in the district as cybercrime hotspots, and around one in nine cybercrime cases reported across the country has been traced to Nuh, officials said. According to them, the district has, in recent years, emerged as a centre of organised cybercrime in India, overtaking Jharkhand’s Jamtara in capacity and scale. They further said that unemployment, poverty and easy access to low-cost smartphones with good internet connectivity have drawn many youths into making phishing calls to earn quick money.
Villagers say smartphone addiction is at the root of many of their problems, with some claiming it has even broken families apart. The panchayat has said it wants to sever all links with the criminal world and return to basic keypad handsets, with the phone-smashing exercise presented as a symbolic step towards that goal.
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(With inputs from Kasim Khan)
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jun 24, 2026 07:43 IST
