THE popular Short Messaging Service (SMS) has a flipside that’s not so likeable.
With the increase in mobile phone users, the menace of sending vulgar or threatening messages via the SMS is on the rise. The senders shield behind almost-assured anonymity because some cellphone companies are reluctant to reveal the identity of clients, fearing loss of business.
Instances of stalking through SMS abound. The harrowing time faced by a woman journalist of this newspaper last week is a case in point. The scores of suggestive SMS’ in the span of a week were being sent by a customer of BPL Mobile.
Her efforts to get the name and address of the sender from the cellphone company fell through.
Even after a complaint was lodged with the Cantonment Police Station, the company officials refused to co-operate.
Police sub-inspector (PSI) Shakeel Shaikh, investigating this case, says despite detailed requisition, the company supplied only a list of numbers to which the stalker had sent SMS’ in the last one month. ‘‘The company refused to furnish details based on the demand made by the police station in-charge and, instead, asked for a letter from the DCP,’’ he said.
Though a list of calls made by the person was sent, the company failed to give his address on the pretext he was a prepaid customer.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airtel (Maharashtra circle) Inder Bajaj said their company had complete details of all customers. ‘‘But we furnish it in case the request comes through a formal channel,’’ he claimed.
A senior executive with Idea Cellular also said they had information related to most customers.
He admitted that the company revealed the identity of a person accused of stalking only when requests come through the proper government channels.
Shaikh said it has been observed that shopkeepers sell prepaid cards to unknown customers without bothering to demand or check identity and address proof though government rules make it mandatory.
‘‘In a recent case of cheating, Airtel gave us the address of the guilty person which turned out to be fake,’’ said Shaikh. Former Mayor Vandana Chavan has also been a victim. ‘‘This person sent me objectionable messages for almost a month recently. I had to approach senior police officials,’’ she recalls.
Though the police were able to trace the person, it was not before the prepaid customer dodged authorities for some time.