A hoax call can land you in jail for five years

Mumbai: Senior officials in the Home Ministry and the Mumbai police have warned that callers who make hoax calls to stall flights and trains will be dealt with very strictly.

The warning comes after one such call delayed a Kingfisher Lucknow-Mumbai flight on Thursday by five hours.

Central Home Secretary GK Pillai expressed his concern over the increase in number of hoax calls.

"People should refrain from making hoax calls as it puts the entire state and central machinery out of gear," he said. "If caught, the pranksters can be prosecuted under law."

Additional Director General (ATS) Rakesh Maria said, "On an average we receive three to four calls and on a bad day the number is as high as eight.

We want the public to be alert and call us when they genuinely observe something suspicious. However, those indulging in prank calls must understand the extent of damage they create for themselves.

Once they are caught, their name remains in the police records forever. This might pose difficulty when they need police verification or clearance when they apply for passports or apply for a government job."

And technology is vital in catching such pranksters. Technology expert Vijay Mukhi added, "I got two calls on my mobile phone in the middle of the night. Nobody spoke, but they woke me up.

The mobile service provider was unable to tell me who the caller was."

He added, "My concern is that lots of people use Internet Phone or VOIP providers like Skype to telephone others. Nobody can trace these calls.

Terrorists used the same technology during 26/11 to make voice calls. What should give us cause for worry is that the calls cannot be traced."

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