Case registered against BSNL, Deshabhimani

KOZHIKODE: The Vadakara Police on Saturday registered a case against BSNL for tapping the phone calls of investigation officer DySP Josi Cheriyan probing the murder of RMP leader T.P. Chandrasekharan. A case was also registered against CPI (M) mouthpiece Deshabhimani for carrying details of the calls made by the officer, police said.


The police have identified the person suspected to be behind the phone tapping. He is R.S. Sanalkumar, an Accounts Manager in Office of the Principal General Manager BSNL, Thiruvananthapuram. As a primary step of punishment, Sanalkumar has been transferred. Further action would be taken with the progression of investigation.


Deshabhimani daily had published a detailed report on incoming and outgoing calls in the official BSNL number of DySP Josi Cheriyan, who is a member of the special investigation team probing the TP murder case. A case was registered against the daily since phone tapping is a serious offence. The police registered case under IT Act 70 (3), 43 (a), 66 (a), 1 and 2, and under IPC Section 500.


According to the complaint lodged by DySP Josi Cheriyan, the BSNL officers leaked the details from their computer system to Deshabhimani.  It is suspected that the details were leaked by the left-wing organizations within BSNL.  Some of them are under police scanner. The computers in the Thiruvananthapuram office of BSNL have been taken over by police for inspection.


The investigation is undertaken by Vadakara Crime Branch DySP P.P. Sadanandan.


Meanwhile, the SIT on Saturday questioned five accused who are now in police custody in connection with the TP murder. They are Shinoj, Rajikanth, Karayi Rajan, Biju and Chetty Shaji. Hitherto, 74 people are under arrest in the case.