Three get rigorous imprisonment for illegally routing international calls

Chennai: Three people have been sentenced to one year rigorous imprisonment and slapped with a fine of Rs 50,000 each for illegal routing of international phone calls which caused a loss of about Rs 23 lakh to the government exchequer.  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 criminally conspired to cheat the Department of Telecommunications, a CBI release said on Tuesday. The trio were accused of illegally converting incoming international calls into local calls and further switching these incoming calls to local telephone subscribers in 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 investigations were conducted in the case, a final report was filed against the accused persons under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Indian Telegraph Act 1885. “The trial court found the accused guilty and convicted them,” it said. PTI