18-year-old held for calling emergency number 100 over 2,000 times!

Mumbai: An 18-year-old boy has been arrested and subsequently let off on bail for allegedly making as many as 2,407 phone calls on police emergency number 100 without any reason and passing lewd comments on a lady police constable over the phone.

The accused, one Faiyaz Ismail Shaikh, is a resident of Kamruddin Chawl on Andheri-Kurla road in Andheri east.

He dropped out of school after failing in Standard IX, and mostly stays at home. An official from the Mumbai Police Crime Branch Unit I said Mr Shaikh had been using a SIM card taken in his sister’s name to make these anonymous calls.

He had been making calls between June 20 and September 29 this year however on September 29, when a lady police constable picked up his call made from mobile number 8268030415, he passed lewd comments.

The lady police constable, after discussing with her senior police officer, registered a FIR with Azad Maidan police station under Section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.

Investigation was handed over to the Crime Branch. Based on technical evidence, the CB, led by API Dashrath Vitkar, traced Mr Shaikh down to his address and arrested him on Friday from Saki Naka area. He was produced before a magistrate’s court and given bail on a PR bond.

During interrogation when CB officials asked him why he made so many calls, Mr Shaikh replied, “Timepass!” When told his act could land him in deep trouble, the boy apologised and said he would not repeat it. He told the interrogators he knew it is a toll-free number and wouldn’t cost him anything. According to CB officials, Mr Shaikh is sane and was not under influence of alcohol when he made the calls.

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