2 nabbed after telcos' complaints over SIM fraud in Jalandhar

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, May 27

The menace of fake SIM rackets has spread to this extent in Jalandhar that now mainstream telecommunication companies are forced to make complaints against them.

Two frausdters running a fake SIM racket in Jalandhar were nabbed by the Lambra police after separate complaints were received against them from Airtel and Vodafone nodal officers. Running telecom stores at Bhagwanpur in Jalandhar, they were operating 5 to 11 SIMs from single addresses by forging documents and defrauding leading mobile network service providers.

Issued sims on forged documents

Running telecom stores at Bhagwanpur in Jalandhar, they were operating five to 11 SIMs from single addresses by forging documents and defrauding leading mobile network service providers

The Jalandhar rural police today infromed that those arrested have been identified as Baljit Kumar and Kishor Kumar, residents of Bhagwanpur, who had opened telecom stores at Bhagwanpur under their respective names.

Two FIRs were lodged against the duo at the Lambra police station on May 24 and 25, on the complaint of mobile network firms, following which they were arrested.

A complaint by a nodal officer of Bharti Airtel Limited against Baljit Telecom, Bhagwanpur, was received at the Lambra police station on May 20 regarding 5 SIMs being run from a single address from the aforesaid telecom owner and other unidentified persons. The complainant said by running five numbers from one address they were committing fraud with Bharti Airtel Ltd. and had also prepared fake papers to carry out the fraud for the same.

An FIR under sections 419, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC was also registered against Baljit Telecom at the Lambra police station after the complaint.

Meanwhile, another complaint was also made by a nodal officer, Vodafone Idea Ltd, against Kishor Telecom, Bhagwanpur, among other persons at the Lambra police station on May 22. The complainant alleged that the telecom owner, with their accomplices, were running 11 SIMs from one address on May 13, 2022 and 10 sims from one address on May 23, 2022, threreby defrauding Vodafone Idea Ltd. and forging papers.

A case under Sections 419, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC was registered against Kishor Telecom at the Lambra police station, upon the complaint. The police said further investigation was being amde from the duo regarding their operations and the extent of their network.