The High Court on Tuesday ordered the country’s mobile phone operators to deactivate all the unregistered SIM cards as soon as possible. It also directed the mobile operators to provide details of SIM card users who demand toll over phone. An HC bench comprising Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Mohammad Khurshid Alam Sarker passed the order following a writ petition filed in the form of public interest litigation. Supreme Court lawyer JR Khan Robin filed the writ following a report titled, ’70 lakh unregistered SIMs involved in various crimes, including demanding extortion’, published in a national daily on March 6. The court also issued a rule asking authorities concerned to explain as to why they should not be directed to deactivate the unregistered SIM cards and as to why law enforcers not be directed to take action against the SIM card users who demand extortion over phone under the criminal law. The Home secretary, the Posts and Telecommunications secretary, the BTRC chairman and the CEOs of Grameenphone, Banglalink, Teletalk, Robi, Airtel and Citycell have been made respondents to the rule. – UNB
