Sabina Shrestha was returning home at Maitidevi from Ratnapark in a public bus recently.

The bus was packed with passengers, which was not unusual for the 21-year-old who commute the route regularly.

“It was around 4 pm and, as always, I catch the bus filled with passengers. But then after a while, I suddenly realise that my bag was open and my phone and purse are missing,” she said. “I searched everywhere and asked the other passengers about my missing belongings, but no one had any clue. It was the worst experience I have ever had.”

Shrestha then filed a complaint at Singha Durbar police station, but nothing happened. “I have no hope to get back my purse and phone.”

With the festival season approaching, cases of theft are rising across the country.

According to the data provided by Nepal Police, in an average around seven cases of theft were reported daily in the fiscal year 2018/19. The data of the last five years shows that there has been a steady rise in theft cases.

Altogether 1,309 complaints were filed in the fiscal year 2014/15. The number of cases rose to 1,578 in the following fiscal year 2015/16.

The complaint related to theft and burglary reached 1,627 in the fiscal year 2016/17 and 1,628 in the fiscal year 2017/18. In the fiscal year 2018/19, cases related to theft and burglary reached 2,646.

Police say it is difficult to catch the thief once he or she got away without anyone noticing.

The public needs to be alert so that their valuable belongings are not stolen, particularly ahead of the festival season, Umesh Raj Joshi, the deputy spokesperson at the Nepal Police Headquarters, told the Post.

“Most burglary cases take place during the day. Police cannot provide safety to individual homes, so the public needs to be aware as the festival season is near,” Joshi said. “The best way to prevent burglary is to keep one’s valuables in bank lockers and not allow strangers into their homes on any pretext.”