BSNL In Bangalore is making news by what could be a major fraud in the Public sector organization. BSNL provides different types of Internet access services. Under the UL 900 plan it provides unlimited download at a speed of 256 Kbps. On the other hand, it provides two other plans namely Home 250 and Home 500,  for users with limited data download/upload but at a 2MBps speed. 

Increasingly, the customers of BSNL broadband under the Home 250 and 500 are finding that their data usage is exceeding the normal usage and they are billed for exorbitant amounts. Atleast in some of these  cases it has been found that people have misused the bandwidths of others by hacking into modems, using the standard passwords which BSNL assigns by default.

The undersigned has been informed that in certain cases, on receiving complaints, BSNL has identified the actual users and charged them reversing the inflated bills of the victims. However they have not taken any penal action on the persons who have mis-used the system.

An investigative exploration raises  a serious doubt that these incidents may not be isolated events. It can be observed that BSNL has made a fundamental mistake in structuring its tariff plan by introducing a higher bandwidth for limited data traffic users and lower bandwidth for unlimited data traffic users. After the introduction of IP TV and other data heavy usages, there appears to be a possibility of some to heavy data users may be trying to steal high bandwidth from other users. Since high bandwidth is available only with the limited data traffic users, the stealing of bandwidth results in stealing of data traffic as well.

It is  possible that some BSNL employees may be hand in glove with some heavy users to systematically help them steal bandwidth from others. Otherwise there is no logic why BSNL is not initiating any action against the offenders.

It is also found that  when one of the victims tried to lodge a complaint with the Cyber Crime Police Station in Bangalore, he has been told that no complaint can be registered since the offence does not fall under ITA 2000.

If this is an honest statement, it is unfortunate that Cyber Crime Police station is betraying its ignorance on ITA 2000 by taking a stand that the Internet Leeching is not a recognized offence under ITA 2000. Knowing the expertise available at Bangalore Cyber Crime PS, it is difficult to believe that they are ignorant of the law. Perhaps they may be  pretending to be ignorant.

The only  possibility why Cyber Crime PS  may be deliberately avoiding registration of complaints on Internet Leeching could be that they may be shielding the real culprits.

Who can be those persons whom the Police is trying to shield? and Why? are questions that rise in our mind now.

 It is unlikely that individuals who are leeching,  can strike a deal with the Police in this respect. This is yet another reason to suspect that there may be an organized group of BSNL employees who may be indulging in Internet Leeching  since such a group will have the capability to make deals with the Police.

Naavi.org therefore urges BSNL to institute an enquiry to find out how many cases of data traffic misuse have been brought to their notice and whether there is any pattern in this problem which indicates a “Fraud”.

If Police are innocent, then the Cyber Crime PS should take the lead and register a suo-moto case and investigate the matter to clear their name as well as to safeguard the public interest.

We will have to wait and see whether BSNL will move first to prove its innocence or it would be the Cyber Crime PS, Bangalore which will prove its honesty. If neither make a move, then the needle of suspicion will point to both of them.

Naavi

www.naavi.org