BSNL Divisional Manager sent to jail for Cheating BSNL and Facilitating Illegal ISD Calls

According to officials from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the special judge for CBI cases in Lucknow has handed down a sentence of five years imprisonment to five individuals accused of cheating Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). The accused were found guilty of hacking into BSNL’s computer system and facilitating illegal International Subscriber Dialing (ISD) calls by installing 18 telephones in Bareilly.
Accused and Penalties Imposed
The individuals who have been sentenced include Pramod Kumar Gangwar, who was then a divisional engineer at BSNL Bareilly, as well as Mehfooz Ali, Ejaz Alam, Shahnawaz Alam, and Mohd Kadir. In addition to the prison term, the accused have also been ordered to pay a financial penalty of ₹2.95 lakh.
Acquittal of One Accused Individual
It is worth noting that one of the accused individuals, Mohd Nayab, was acquitted by the court, as stated by officials.
Background of the Case
The CBI initiated an investigation into the matter and filed a case against six accused individuals, including Pramod Kumar Gangwar and five private individuals. The allegations were that between 2009 and 2010, on September 9, 2011, the accused individuals conspired to cheat BSNL by hacking into their computer system and facilitating illegal ISD calls through the installation of 18 telephones in Bareilly.
Financial Loss and Legal Proceedings
The officials further revealed that BSNL suffered a loss of ₹3.41 crore as a result of the accused individuals’ actions. The chargesheet for the case was filed on May 30, 2014, against all six accused individuals. The court framed charges against the accused on September 30, 2015. Following the trial, five of the accused individuals were found guilty and subsequently sentenced, while Mohd Nayab was acquitted by the court.