There has been a ruckus in India over the arrest of a British-origin officer of a famous Saudi Arabian company, including satellite phones. In this incident, do not be happy after arresting the accused from the China-India international border, think that how did a foreigner give a shit to the Indian agencies?
Image Credit source: File photo
famous oil company of saudi arabiaAramcoEver since the high official of British origin was arrested in India, there has been a ruckus. Because a satellite phone was recovered from the possession of this foreign oil company officer. That too on the border of China. Shouldn’t it be an issue of satisfaction or outrage here that a foreigner was arrested with a satellite phone and put in jail? The question should be that why and how did an official of a foreign oil company prove our security and investigative agencies useless?
of Uttarakhand state Chamoli In the border area of China by the district police Saudi Arab On July 12, Fergus McLeod, a high official of the famous oil company “Aramco”, was arrested. He was arrested when he was on a tour of the Valley of Flowers with a satellite phone. Fergus, 62, was jailed after the satellite phone was recovered. Because they violated Indian laws. A case under Indian Telegraph Act and India Wireless Telegraphy Act was registered against him by Chamoli police at Govind Ghat police station. Chamoli’s Superintendent of Police Shweta Choubey also confirms the registration of the case and then the arrest of Fergus MacLeod in a conversation with the media.
The police station in which the case was registered against the British executive McLeod of Saudi Arabia’s famous oil company Aramco, Narendra Singh Rawat, its station in-charge also confirms the incident. According to him, “On July 11, 2022, we got the news of a foreigner having a satellite phone in a local hotel. Since our territory is located on the China-India international control border. Therefore, the presence of satellite phones with any civilian here was a matter of concern. So on July 12, we arrested the accused of my satellite phone. He was produced in the court. From where he was sent to jail.
After all, how did you enter India with satellite phones?
The accused remained in Chamoli district jail till 18 July. He was released on 27 July 2022 after recovering a fine of one thousand rupees. Also, the case registered against the accused was also dismissed. The question here is not that a foreigner was arrested near the Chinese border with a satellite phone. The question is when satellite phones are restricted to be used by a civilian in India. Then in such a situation when the accused landed at our international airport on my satellite phone. There he was thoroughly examined. So then how did he even get entry into India from there or through that security-check circle with my satellite phone?
Use of satellite phones is banned in India
Whereas in India there is a strict legal restriction on the use of satellite phone by any civilian? The Indian investigative and security agencies who investigated McLeod at the airport. Is there no responsibility of that agency? The security-checking agency, which is responsible for the security-checking of all the airports in the country. Does that investigative agency have no responsibility in case a British national reaches a Maya satellite phone on the China border hundreds of miles from the airport? So let’s say the satellite phone was confiscated. The one who had it was also arrested by the Chamoli police.
McLeod said he was not aware of the ban on satellite phones
The question arises that if this satellite phone would have reached such a destructive power on the China border! Then with what face would the indigenous investigation and security agencies have been able to stand in front of the Indian government? In a conversation with the Financial Times about this, McLeod said, “I have been in Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco since 2017. I was aware that the use of satellite phones by a civilian is strictly prohibited in India. When I reached the airport with this satellite phone, none of the Indian agencies present there stopped me.
If they had stopped, why and how would I have gone so far from the airport with a satellite phone? He further said that, “I bought this satellite phone legally in the UK. Because the common mobile phone network does not work in the desert of Saudi Arabia. In such a situation, I used to use satellite phone when needed. Sharing his experience of 6-7 days in Chamoli jail, McLeod said, “It (Chamoli district jail) was a scary place. It was a very sad experience. I was kept in a cell with serious criminals.”
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