Central agencies join probe as objectionable calls continue
LUCKNOW: With unidentified miscreants continuing to circulate objectionable voice as well as video content purportedly aimed at disrupting country’s integrity and unity, for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday, country’s top agencies related to internal and external securities joined the probe to trace the origin point of calls that seemed to be routed through proxy numbers having codes of different countries.
A senior UP Anti Terror Squad (ATS) official said the matter had been reported to Intelligence Bureau (IB), which deals in internal security, and Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), which deals in external security, as voice and videos messages on similar pattern had also been circulated in New Delhi and Maharashtra.
He said the two central agencies are the nodal agencies to access information related to the origin of calls whether it is from inside the country or abroad.
He said the details related to voice and video messages circulated on mobile phones of around 50 senior journalists in Lucknow since Saturday had been shared with two agencies.
“In the latest development, the unidentified users on Tuesday created multiple WhatsApp group numbers and added over 50 journalists from Lucknow to share multiple video and voice messages having anti-nation content,” the official said.
He said the recorded voice messages with an objectionable comment about flag hoisting by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15 as well as about the country’s unity and integrity was earlier circulated on the cell phone numbers on Saturday. He said the message was in male voice. Similar voice message in female voice was circulated among journalists on Sunday while video messages were circulated on Monday, he added.
Earlier, a first information report (FIR) against unidentified callers was lodged with Hazratganj police station in this connection on Saturday.
The Lucknow police, however, appealed public to maintain peace and asked them not to forward these messages and share entire details with the police on 9454401508 so the callers could be traced at the earliest.