TDSAT directs Bharti to pay 25% of penalty on call masking

The telecom tribunal TDSAT today directed Bharti Airtel to deposit 25% of Rs 50 crore fine imposed by the government for allegedly camouflaging the calling-line identification (CLI) while making promotional business calls to non-airtel customers.

Passing an interim order, a TDSAT bench headed by Chairman Justice S B Sinha directed Bharti Airtel to deposit Rs 12.5 crore within a period of two weeks from today.

The tribunal, however, was not satisfied over the quantum of penalty (Rs 50 crore) imposed by the Department of Telecom (DoT), as the DoT could not produce documents to support the case.

The tribunal's interim order came over a petition filed by Bharti Airtel challenging penalty by the government.

DoT has slapped a penalty of Rs 50 crore on Bharti Airtel for allegedly camouflaging its CLI mechanism in Madhya Pradesh circle for making business promotion calls to non-Airtel mobile customers.

Airtel had contended that the matter was still pursued by the Telecom Enforcement Resources & Monitoring Cell (TERM) while DoT imposed the penalty.

It has further contended that it was not given a chance to clarify as no show cause notice was either issued by the Department of Telecom or TERM.

Airtel had further submitted that the masking of call was not done deliberately.

However, it was opposed by the DoT and said that it was against the term and conditions of the licence given to the company and the national security was compromised by it.