Chandigarh, May 25 (IANS) To curb the menace of issuing SIM cards on fake identities, a major security threat, the Punjab Police have got blocked over 1.8 lakh SIM cards activated using fake identities and forged documents, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Thursday.
In one case 500 SIM cards have been issued with the same photograph but in different names by forging documents.
The Internal Security Wing in association with the Department of Telecom had begun a crackdown against distributors and agents selling SIM cards on fake identities.
Yadav said: "Action is being initiated against point of sales distributors, agents and other persons involved in issuing SIM cards on fake IDs."
The police have arrested 17 people, who were found involved in the sale of SIM cards on fake documents, besides registering 52 FIRs in the last three days.
Special DGP (Internal Security) R.N. Dhoke said that he had held multiple meetings with the Department of Telecom and telecom service providers. Subsequent to that action was taken.
He said Inspector General of Police (Counter Intelligence) Rakesh Agrawal has been made the nodal officer and a drive is on to further identify the SIM cards issued on fake IDs.
The special DGP also warned retailers of strict action for failing to comply with the Know Your Customer (KYC) norms, a lapse that resulted in the activation of thousands of SIM cards fraudulently.
"Special teams of the Counter Intelligence Wing have been coordinating with the district police to zero in on SIM card retailers, who activated different mobile phone numbers with the same proof of identity," he said, adding that they are also taking up the matter with the telecom authorities to blacklist such agents.
"At around 3 p.m., one vehicle of the Indian Army, while moving from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot in Poonch district, caught fire. Further details are being ascertained," Lt. Col. Devender Anand said in a statement.
Balvir Kaur (50) was found injured in the fields near a canal in Ferozepur village on Wednesday morning. She is presently undergoing treatment at PGIMER in Chandigarh.
The Delhi Police had filed an application on April 10 and while dealing with it, Additional Sessions Judge Manisha Khurana Kakkar of the Saket Court Complex said that Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad had placed on record the Delhi High Court's order dated April 19 directing media channels to not publish or broadcast any content belonging to the charge sheet in the case.
According to the UNFPA's The State of World Population Report, 2023, India's population has reached 1,428.6 million while China's stands at 1,425.7 million -- a difference of 2.9 million. The UN's World Population Prospects 2022 had also projected India to surpass China as the world's most populous country during 2023.
Cook came out from the Mumbai retail store and took selfies with the first Apple buyers who came in big numbers. He welcomed customers at Apple BKC, located at Mumbai's bustling Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) financial, arts, and entertainment district, at the Jio World Drive Mall.
The incident took place on April 11 when the man, identified as Shiv, was to take a Go First flight (G8-157) to Bagdogra, West Bengal. According to a complaint lodged by the airline staff, when he was asked to open his bag for a mandatory secondary ladder point check, Shiv got agitated and told them that there was a bomb inside his bag.
