A Venezuelan woman identified as Maria Fernanda Belloso was detained with a satellite phone from Dehradun airport on Sunday morning when she was about to fly to Delhi. Dehradun police sources said that they had recovered the satellite phone from Maria reported to be working in United States of America while she was frisked by some CISF personnel. She was first brought at Doiwala police station and questioned by the police officers there. later, senior cops from Dehradun police aside from the officials from Intelligence Bureau, Army Intelligence and Special Branch interrogated the woman.
Investigation, however, revealed that she had not used the satellite phone while she was in the state for three days till April 16 while staying in Parmath Niketan based in Rishikesh. Probe further revealed that she had not secured the requisite permission from the department of telecommunication for carrying a satellite phone.
It is learnt that she reached India on April 2 with a one-month visa. She visited several places across Rajasthan and reached Agra. From Agra, she came to Uttarakhand on April 14 and stayed in Parmath Niketan located in Rishikesh. She was to board the 7 am flight to Delhi on Sunday when she was caught with the satellite phone.
A police officer probing the case said that as per the instructions of the bureau of civil aviation, carrying a satellite phone sans permission is illegal in India. “However, using such phone is not so in USA. A case under sections 3 and 6 of Indian Wireless and Telegraphy Act 1933 has been registered in Doiwala police station against Maria. She would be produced before the court on Monday,” the police officer said.
Questions, however, are being raised over the satellite phone remaining undetected for days since April 14, the day she landed in the Dehradun airport. It clearly exposed the chinks in the security arrangements made at the airport which is all set to turn into a full-fledged international airport in the coming days, said the observers.