Date:02/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/02/stories/2008080253160300.htm

Kerala

Stern action against hoax callers mooted

Hoax calls have kept the police on their toes. They are considering strict laws to bring the culprits to book, writes Biju Govind

The police plan to introduce strict laws to prevent hoax calls and deal with the culprits. So far, the law enforcing agencies have been charge-sheeting the accused under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 505 (public mischief) and Section 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication). If more people are involved, Section 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) is invoked in the charge-sheet.

Those found guilty are sentenced to punishment of up to three years and fine or both under the IPC. Now senior officials are considering charge-sheeting pranksters under Sections of the Information Technology Act, which sentences the accused to up to five years imprisonment and fine of Rs.1 lakh. Legal opinion is being sought on whether crimes such as hoax call made through landline and cell phones, though they being modes of communication via electronic forms, can be treated on a par with acts through computer. However, SMS through mobile phones are covered under this Act.

Last week, the city police arrested two youth on charges of conspiring and making a hoax call to a tyre shop threatening that the firm would be blown up with explosives.

A hotel employee was also arrested for making a hoax call threatening that a bomb had been planted at a higher secondary school on the outskirts of the city. The accused made the call from his cell phone to a coin-operated booth near the school.

Teenager held

In another case, the police arrested a teenager hailing from Perambra in connection with a hoax call received in Thiruvananthapuram city last week. The case was filed at the Sreekariyam police station in Thiruvananthapuram after a freelance photographer complained that he had received an anonymous call on his cell phone warning that bombs would go off at different places in the State, including vital installations such as the Naval base in Kochi and other places in the State capital on August 15.

Kozhikode City Police Commissioner Anup Kuruvilla John said investigating agencies could trace any anonymous call, be it from a coin-operated box, landline, mobile phone, wireless local loop and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP).

Software is available with the police even if the Internet protocol address is masked through various means.

Internet cafes owners are more vigilant these days. The name and address of visitors are recorded at cyber cafes. Pictures of users are taken by web cam at some cafes. Any channel of communication is easily traceable through the service providers.