SHAME! Recharge outlets selling girls' phone numbers to stalkers, no ground for legal action

Women's safety in India remains a top concern. Despite a series of stern measures to curb the horrors faced by women in our country, reports of assault, rape and harassment continue to emerge. In a shocking revelation this week, mobile numbers of innocent girls are being sold across Uttar Pradesh. 

Recharge outlets across India's largest state are the epicentres for this shameful act. The phone numbers are being sold for anywhere between Rs. 50 and Rs. 500 based on the looks of the girls. Stalkers are using this means to harass girls with calls and obscene photographs.

In India, majority of people recharge their phone from stores. The phone number is shared with the retailer for top-ups. While recharge shop owners are not supposed to save these numbers, they have been using the phone numbers of girls to make extra cash. Not to mention putting the lives of unsuspecting girls in danger.

There is a recharge outlet in every nook and corner. All it takes to become a recharge agent is fill out a form and deposit a security amount with an agency mediating between the individual and the network operator.

The racket was busted after a 24x7 helpline, 1090, in U.P. was flooded with complaints about unsolicited calls. According to the Hindustan Times, 90 percent of the 6 lakh odd complaints in the past four years were related to harassment of women over the phone. The report also revealed that recharge outlets also sell people SIM cards with fake identity to maintain anonymity in case of an enquiry.

Some stalkers have even confessed that it was a way of having some "harmless fun". In what definition "sending vulgar pictures over WhatsApp" and harassing innocent girls equivalent to fun?

What are the police doing?

No charges have been made against the stalkers or the recharge outlets as the state law doesn't consider this a crime. But the police have been charging those who sell SIM cards under fake identity. IG Sekera told HT that three people have been booked under Section 467 for dealing in false documents.

Stalkers are let off with stern warnings for the time being.

What should girls do?

Smartphones are pretty common these days and almost everyone owns one. There are simpler and efficient ways to recharge a prepaid number using services like Paytm, Freecharge, MobiKwik etc.

These digital services are safe and help prevent your numbers from falling into the hands of strangers. In case you do not have a smartphone, take the help of a friend or a relative to do the mobile recharge using Paytm or Freecharge. This way, you can be rest assured that your number won't fall into the wrong hands.