Pre-paid phone connections hinder probe

KOCHI: Suspects involved in serious crimes are found to have exploited a flaw in the process for verifying identity of users purchasing pre-paid mobile phone connection.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the assault on T.J. Joseph, Malayalam teacher at Newman College, Thodupuzha, allegedly by activists of the Popular Front of India (PFI), has found that all the suspects used pre-paid connection.

A senior official of the SIT said the modus operandi adopted by the group was to take pre-paid mobile connections using copies of identification documents, often forged or fake ones, and start using the phone straightaway. The suspects exploit the grace period of up to four days provided by some leading mobile companies for their customers to submit the original documents for personal identification. As the connection is automatically discontinued at the end of the period, the police are finding it hard to track the suspects using mobile phone records