Probe into ISD call racket launched

By Our Staff Reporter

KHAMMAM, JULY 4. Police launched a high-level probe into an ISD call racket which was busted with the arrest of seven persons in the remote mandal headquarters of Venkatapuram and Charla.

They are on the look-out for the kingpin of the racket, a Hyderabad-based agent, who had reportedly engaged them for a monthly remuneration. They are also trying to find out whether the racket has got any ISI dimension.

The accused, who had been operating in the guise of garment sellers, since April last, had been providing cheap calls through a network of agencies connected by dialling 181. According to the department officials, four telephones without STD and ISD facility were reportedly used by them to avail of unrecorded calls. The police seized a record of calls made by them to different cities worldwide since May 17.

The Additional Superintendent of Police, Mr. G. Sudheer Babu, said three of the accused- Syed Abdul Salim, Syed Afroz Khalid (both from Hyderabad) and S. K. Mahboob Pasha, a resident of Pandurangapuram near Khammam were arrested in Charla. One S. K. Sharif, who is also accused in the case is at large. In Venkatapuram four persons - Md. Ali Pasha, Md. Salim, Md. Firoz and Md. Babar, were arrested in Venkatapuram.

It was revealed in the interrogation that they started operating first in Venkatapuram by taking two phones in April last. One of the phones was installed the day they checked into a rented premises as it was booked under OYT scheme. They also had another phone installed subsequently. Their operations went on round-the- clock with the help of some people closely known to them in the village.

The police kept a tab on them as all of them happened to be new to the village. Their operations came to light only after taking them into custody yesterday night. The information furnished by them helped in nabbing the three others engaged in the same activity in the neighbouring village of Charla. They were all remanded to judicial custody on Tuesday.

The Telecom District Manager, Mr. P. Nagaraju, said that the department would take action if any employee was found hand-in- glove with the accused. He said the information elicited from the accused would be analysed to decide what action should be taken against them. Steps were being taken to find out whether such agencies were operating at any other place in the district.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Union Minister details steps to check ISI
           activities
Next     : CM warns beneficiaries of CMEY against misusing
           money