13 May,2011 08:04 AM IST | | Atul Krishan
They were being used, without prior permission, by a private TV channel
The official said that recently an intelligence input was received that someone with a Thuraya satellite phone had tried to contact Delhi mobile numbers.u00a0"A team was pressed into service to seize the satellite phones. As per the provisions of law, use of satellite phone set in India is illegal if prior permission of Department of Telecommunication.
The person who will use any kind of satellite phones will be punished as per Indian Telegraph Act, 1985 and it shall be penalized under section 20 of the said act," said the senior police official.
The official added that as per section 20 of Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, if any person establishes, maintains or works a telegraph within [India] in contravention of the provisions of section 4 or otherwise then as permitted by rules made under that section, he shall be punished, if the telegraph is a wireless telegraph, with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both, and in any other case, with a fine which may extend to one thousand rupeesu00a0
The police official said that the team which was pressed into investigation found that the satellite phone set belongs to a TV channel.u00a0 The authorised officer of the channel stated that the company is engaged in the business of news coverage in south Asia and in emergency cases their Delhi office uses these three official Thuraya satellite phones. As the organisation was unable to furnish any document in their favour, a non-cognisable report of Indian Telegraph Act was registered at Special Cell police station and the court has directed the police to carry on with investigations into the matter.
