Saudi Aramco Executive Detained For A Week In Chamoli For Possessing A Satellite Phone.

Saudi Aramco executive was detained for a week in Chamoli for possessing a satellite phone.

When police detained a senior Saudi Aramco official in July for using a satellite phone while on vacation without permission, he was detained in Uttarakhand for nearly a week. After paying a fee of Rs 1,000, he was granted release.

Financial Times of the United Kingdom reported on July 12 that Saudi Aramco’s head of investor relations, Fergus MacLeod, was held while staying at a hotel near the Valley of the Flowers. The man, who was 62, was locked up in Chamoli, Italy, until July 18.

The FT report claims that after discovering the whereabouts of the phone, officials arrested the British executive. MacLeod maintains that while on vacation with his friends, among whom were Saudi Aramco personnel, he switched the mobile on and off inside his hotel however left it unattended.

The Chamoli district is bordered by China along a portion of the Line of Actual Control.

SP Chamoli The executive was detained by Chamoli police after they discovered him to be in possession of a satellite phone, which is prohibited under Indian law. According to Shweta Choubey, who spoke to The Indian Express, satellite phones cannot be owned or used by foreign nationals without prior authorization.

He carried a satellite phone while being unaware that doing so is prohibited in India (without prior authorization). He was imprisoned for this reason. Nothing was wrong with the procedure, she insisted.

A foreign national was spotted using a satellite phone near the border, according to information obtained on July 11 by the Govind Ghat police station in Chamoli, according to Station Officer Narendra Singh Rawat.

He was detained in accordance with the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act and certain portions of the Indian Telegraph Act. He was taken into custody and lodged in the district jail until July 18, when he was released on bail. After he paid a fee of Rs 1,000, the case was resolved on July 27,” Rawat added. A representative from the British High Commission in New Delhi said that consular help had been provided to a British national in India.

What are satellite phones, and why is their use prohibited in India?

After being detained by authorities in July while in possession of an unauthorized satellite phone, a senior executive of the Saudi Arabian oil corporation Saudi Aramco was imprisoned for many days in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, according to The Indian Express. After paying a punishment of Rs 1,000, he was released on July 27, according to the police.

Why wouldn’t someone carry a satellite phone?

In India, carrying one is prohibited unless you have authorization. It is expressly recommended that visitors to the nation refrain from traveling with a satellite phone unless authorized. After the Pakistani terrorists who attacked Mumbai in November 2008 used these phones to communicate with their Lashkar-e-Taiba handlers, restrictions on the ownership and usage of these phones were tightened.

Station house officer Narendra Singh Rawat of the Govind Ghat police station in Chamoli stated that Fergus MacLeod was arrested under several provisions of the Indian Telegraph Act as well as the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act. These provisions were cited in the executive’s detention.

What are the guidelines?

Possession of “any wireless telegraphy gear, other than a wireless transmitter, in violation of the provisions of section 3 [of the Act]” is prohibited by section 6 of The Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933. Except as allowed by Section 4, Section 3 states that “no individual shall possess wireless telegraphy apparatus” without a license.

Any citizen or any class of individuals shall be excluded from the requirements of this Act, whether broadly or pursuant to defined circumstances, or with respect to specified wireless telegraphy equipment, as stated in Section 4 of the statute.

The use of satellite phones is allowed: A notification on the Department of Telecom website states that certain authorization or a no objection certificate from the Ministry of Telecommunications, Central govt, or (ii) as provided by M/s BSNL in line with the permit given to M/s BSNL for the supply and operations of a satellite-based system utilizing Portal deployed in India.

According to statements posted on the websites of the Indian embassies in many countries throughout the world, using Thuraya/Iridium satellite phones is forbidden or unlawful in India. The notifications state that any traveler taking satellite phone(s) through bags must report them to customs upon arrival and provide authorization for usage from the appropriate authority.

The notifications further state that “any person found to be in possession of an unlawful satellite phone in India is liable to prosecution in accordance with Indian law, and all unauthorized sets found in the person’s possession would be seized by Indian law enforcement agents.”

In order to comply with Indian law, it is advised that tourists and visitors to India refrain from bringing in or using satellite phones while inside the nation unless permission has been granted by the government authority.

How do satellite phones function?

Unlike cell phone towers, which connect regular cell phones, satellite communication depends on spacecraft. In remote locations without mobile phone towers or cellular access, satellite phones can be used. Most of the world is often covered by satellite (or sat) phones, which have decent connectivity.

Can you buy yourself a satellite phone?

Theoretically, yes, provided that they are legal and have received the necessary permissions. You must buy a satellite phone from an authorized distributor in India if you need to use one inside the nation. But only if you actually need one would having one make sense.

One major difference between normal cell phones and satellite phones is price. The equipment might cost up to $1,000, and monthly or yearly plans could run you hundreds of dollars annually. Due to the restricted call time included in these plans, using the phone longer will cost you extra. People and businesses who require these phones frequently opt to rent them, for example, while on vacation and staying in a remote place for the duration of their trip.

There are several reliable satellite connectivity companies. They include Thuraya, Iridium, Inmarsat, and Globalstar. Due to the fact that each satellite phone model is only compatible with one service provider, a Thuraya phone cannot operate on the Iridium network.

Edited by Prakriti Arora