Obscene SMSes: Labourer,salesman held

The action was taken after a woman who received several messages from the suspect lodged a complaint with the crime branch.

Police also arrested Yogesh Vishnu Pillay (25),working as a salesman with a prominent mobile phone company. Police have recovered 400 SIM cards from Pillay. It is being probed whether he obtained the SIM cards by illegal means.

“Investigation revealed that the mobile numbers from which the obscene SMSes were sent were being recharged from Navi Peth area of Pune. So a team from the anti-narcotics cell laid a trap and arrested Vishwanath today,” said deputy commissioner of police (cyber crime cell and economic offences wing) Rajendra Dahale.

Pillay was arrested on Sunday as the mobile carrying the e-top up recharge card for recharging the suspect’s SIM card was used by him. Police checked Pillay’s house and recovered around 400 SIM cards.

The police said carrying the SIM cards may be part of his job responsibilities as a salesman,but investigation is on to check if he was misusing the cards.

“Investigations revealed Vishwanath procured SIM card by submitting a driving licence issued by RTO n the name of Satish Kamble,a resident of Ghorpadi gaon,in 2007. We have written to the RTO for verifying the details,” said DCP Dahale.

“Vishwanath is a BA graduate from Allahabad. He was working as a labourer on construction sites. He first came to Pune in January to look for a job. He said he met a person named Vinod here,who helped him in getting the SIM card used for sending the obscene SMSes,” said Dahale.

“He then went to Surat for work and again came back to Pune about 10 days ago. He was working on a construction site in the city. He used to call on any mobile number randomly. If the call was received by woman,he used call and send obscene SMSes to the woman again and again. One of these woman approach us with complaint. We got the mobile phone call record of the suspect,which shows that he has contact with several women from Maharashtra and Gujarat,” said Dahale.

Police inspector Alfonso Shinde is investigating the case. She said any citizen from Pune who was troubled by such obscene SMSes can contact the cyber cell at 020-26123346.