Illegal routing of phone calls: Three get one year jail, fine

The Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Egmore, convicted R Ganesh, R Venkatesh and L Harikrishnan and sentenced them to undergo one year rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 50,000 each in a CBI case relating to illegal routings of telephone lines.

A case was registered on September 13, 2001 against Ganesh, Venkatesh and Harikrishnan, both partners of M/s Lakshmi & Sons, and others on the allegation that during 2000-2001 they had entered into criminal conspiracy to cheat Central Government's Department of Telecommunications, a cbi release said today.

The trio were accused of converting illegally the incoming international calls into local calls and further switching these incoming calls to the local telephone subscribers at Chennai, without obtaining a valid license from the Government.

"A loss to the tune of Rs 23,24,407 was caused," the release said.

After investigation of the case, a final report was filed against the accused persons under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code and Indian Telegraph Act 1885.

"The trial court found the accused guilty and convicted them," it said.