Mystery shrouds bulb holder assembly fitted with SIM cards, five detained
PRAYAGRAJ: The Kaushambi police have detained five people for questioning in connection with the bulb and holder boxes allegedly fitted with circuit boards, SIM cards, transmitters etc.
Although, police are still clueless about the suspected device that was distributed in different areas of Kaushambi, the suspects are being thoroughly questioned by ATS, STF and intelligence agencies.
Police officials said that the device had been sent to Bengaluru and Lucknow to be examined by experts to establish if it was being used for some illegal purpose.
After investigations, police traced and detained the workers of the company which distributed the bulbs and holder box in different areas of Kaushambi in the past one month.
On the basis of questioning, police prepared a list of people with whom the workers were in contact. It is believed that all people connected with the distribution of the suspected device will be traced and probed.
Police officials said investigations till now had revealed that the LED bulb and holder boxes were being distributed by a Hyderabad-based company under Gramin Ujjawala Yojna, the objective behind which was to save electricity.
However, the workers of the company offered the bulb and holder box to only selected people. The company officials claimed that the device read the carbon emitted by LED bulbs.
However, the officials did not comment on why the consumers were not informed about the details of the device that was given to them.
Police called the experts for examining the holder box but none of them could establish the motive behind the SIM card, circuit board, SD card etc found in the device.
STF, ATS and officials of other agencies also examined the device for several hours after which ADG zone Prem Prakash issued instructions to send the device to Bengaluru and Lucknow for detailed examination.
The report from these laboratories will reveal the exact objective of the device and whether or not it was capable of recording and transferring data.
DSP STF, Navendu Kumar said prima facie it did not appears that the device could be used for ulterior motives. However, a conclusion would be drawn only after proper examination of the device by experts at Bengaluru and Lucknow. The workers and employees of the company were being questioned further in this connection, he added.
Meanwhile, the intelligence wing of Kaushambi police recovered at least 80 holder boxes and 200 LED bulbs from the workers who were traced and detained on Wednesday night. The detained youths informed police that they used to work for JSN Company.
The workers are based in Prayagraj but used to supply the holder box to consumers in Kaushambi and other districts. On the basis of questioning, raids are also being carried out in Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Mirzapur and other districts.
A team of youths approached people in market places in Kaushambi area around a month back and offered 12-watt bulb along with a holder box for only Rs 10.
The youths claimed that the original price of the bulb was Rs 175 but it was given to selected people as an offer.
A trader Brajesh Kesarwani of Nayi Bazar was also approached by two youths with the same offer. Brajesh took the holder box and bulb and started using it. However, the holder became defunct two days back.
On Tuesday, Brajesh took the holder to an electrician who opened it for repair but was shocked to find a circuit board inside with a SIM card of a big telecom company.
The electrician claimed that an aerial, SD card and transmitter device was fitted in the holder along with three chips and some other devices.
He claimed that device was capable of storing and transmitting audio and video recordings to another device.
Brajesh Kesarwani then informed the police about the holder box, suspecting that the device was being used for surveillance.