A foreign national has been apprehended by the state police near Govindghat police station in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district for using a satellite phone, banned by the Indian government.
As per reports, the jailed foreigner, identified as Fergus Iain McLeod, is a national of the British Indian Ocean Territory and a senior executive of Saudi Aramco, who travelled to the valley of flowers and used an unauthorised satellite phone here.
The banned satellite phone used by the foreigner belongs to the Thuraya company, involved in making satellite phones.
Notably, Thuraya satellite phones are banned within the Indian territory under the Indian Telegraph Act and the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act.
A notification on the website of the Department of Telecommunications says, “Satellite phones are permitted: (i) With specific permission/NOC from the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India; or (ii) As provisioned by M/s BSNL in accordance with the licence granted to M/s BSNL for provision and operation of satellite-based service using Gateway installed in India.”
The Deputy Superintendent of Police (Operations) said that information was received late on July 10, this year that a foreign national had gone to visit the Valley of Flowers and a banned satellite phone had been used by him.
