DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 29 (MExN): Telecom major, BSNL today asserted that the reported ‘bombile’ incidents in Dimapur are unfounded hearsay. There is “nothing to worry about… we should not fall prey to unnecessary rumours”, affirmed Chief General Manager (CGM) of BSNL, NE-II Circle, Dimapur R. Sanyal addressing a press conference jointly with the Superintendent of Police, Dimapur Z. Mero at the CGM’s office on Tuesday.
Clarifying the public’s doubts over the rumour, Sanyal reiterated that as far as telecom technology is concerned, it is practically impossible for mobile phone numbers to turn ‘red’ or handsets exploding on its own. Mobile phones exploding on their own are unlikely, he said, unless resulting from faulty batteries or sub-standard handsets. He averred that it may be the handiwork of unscrupulous elements, who want to create panic and disturb the peace of the region. “There have been no such reports from the mainland”.
Mobile handsets, he said, come with inbuilt safety measures and do not have the capacity to receive high-frequency waves or rather, intelligence to give out coloured numbers. He surmised that people who claim to have received calls from ‘red coloured’ numbers must be mentally unsound and those wanting to get cheap publicity. He also suggested coordinating with telecom operators from where the reported ‘red calls’ originate.
The SP Z. Mero put further weight to the CGM’s doubt clarifying statement. Mero said that the Dimapur police have been in touch with their counterparts in Assam. Till now, Mero clarified, the Assam Police have not reported of coming across any concrete proof, incident or people suffering injury contrary to the stories doing the rounds.
“Since it is a technical problem, I have not much to say… but the CGM has clarified (the doubts), there is nothing to fear”. The SP further suggested a meeting of all telecom operators to clear the current doubts in the public’s mind.
Later in the evening the SP, alongwith with his subordinates had a sitting with private telecom operators and briefed media persons at his office. The SP opined that if the rumours had been true, the government of India must have restricted the usage of mobiles phones by now in the region.
A subordinate of the SP viewed that the intelligence agencies certainly got some hints by now, if the reported terror threats are real.
Reports of the exploding phones and ‘red calls’ began circulating in the Assamese media from August last, which fortunately went unnoticed until now. Moreover, the numbers from which the messages were received are said to be not in use.
SDPO, Dimapur Shouka Kakheto disclosed that calls were made to the numbers from which the messages were reportedly received, but found that most of the numbers were not in use.
People not gullible enough to buy the rumour even suggested the possibility of network providers starting the rumour to increase revenue returns through increased sale in top-up vouchers and SMS packs. It cannot be confirmed, though, if at all service providers of repute can go to such extend just for the sake of increasing revenue at the risk of affecting their business in the long term.
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