Look before you lend your cellphone | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Look before you lend your cellphone

Hindustan Times | ByArchana Khatri, New Delhi
Feb 16, 2008 02:28 AM IST

The next time you lend your cellphone or pass on your SIM card to someone, be very careful. You could be held culpable if the person you loan the phone to is involved in criminal activity. Archana Khatri reports.

The next time you lend your cellphone or pass on your SIM card to someone, be very careful. Reason: You could be held culpable if the person you loan the phone to is involved in criminal activity.

HT Image
HT Image

The Department of Telecommunications has asked mobile phone operators to ensure retail outlets put up a notice, saying the owner of the SIM card will be held responsible for any misuse of the card. The notice will advise customers to carry a photo ID and proof of residence while purchasing a SIM.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The contact number of the Vigilance Telecom Monitoring cell must also be provided. You can complain if the retailer gives a connection without checking necessary documents.

Sounds familiar? Well, these rules have been there from the beginning. Only they haven’t been strictly implemented. Growing reports of cellphone misuse, many of them involving militant groups, is a major concern.

Last year, Indian doctor Mohammed Haneef was charged in the foiled UK terror plots after his SIM card was found in the car used in the Glasgow airport attack. Haneef had given the card to his cousins Sabeel and Kafeel Ahmed. Both were arrested in connection with the terror plots. Later, charges against Haneef were dropped.

A vigilance official in New Delhi told the Hindustan Times that there is a “substantial market” for renting mobile cards, where agents do not seek ID proofs from users.

Last November, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Shakeel Ahmad told the Rajya Sabha that leading firms, including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Essar and Idea Cellular, were involved in renting out domestic SIM cards in bulk through agents.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On