UK Spotters arrested in India

[Richard from Rotterdam]

from the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 528476.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Plane-spotters from UK charged in India

Mr Hampton has photographed planes all over the world, his mother said

Two UK plane-spotters arrested in India have been charged with intercepting communications, the Foreign Office (FCO) has confirmed.
Stephen Hampton and Steven Ayres, from Bristol, charged under the Telegraph Act, are due in court on 23 February.

An FCO spokeswoman said it could not speculate on the likely outcome of the trial but confirmed the men were receiving consular assistance.
The pair were held at Delhi International Airport last Monday.

Mr Hampton, a railway worker from Keynsham, and Mr Ayres, from St George, sparked suspicion after asking a Delhi hotel for a room overlooking a runway.
They were carrying an air traffic control scanner, a laptop, binoculars and cameras.

The pair are being held in a New Delhi immigration centre.

Mr Hampton's mother Eileen Cock said he had travelled all over the world photographing aircraft.
Dan Norris, MP for Wansdyke, has been liaising with the FCO to try to bring them home.

[ehusmann]

Oops, I wonder if this is only about the scanner, or also about the rest.
I still have India planned for later this year....

Erwin

[topsafe]

The 2 Brittons also had a SBS-1 receiver with them. This was the main reason for the arrest, if I'm correct.

Mark

[Bokkum]

This on the Times of India site today....

"NEW DELHI: A week after two British nationals were detained for allegedly recording the conversation between pilots and Air Traffic Control (ATC), the south Delhi police on Sunday booked the two "plane spotters" under the Telegraph Act.

Stephen Hampston (46) and Steve Martin (55) were detained on February 15 night at Radisson Hotel after hotel staff reported to police about "the duo indulging in suspicious activities".

"We have registered a case against them. They have been charged under Telegraph Act under Section 20 (read with Section four)," Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Ajay Kashyap said.

If convicted, they will have to serve a prison term of up to three years, or pay a fine extending to up to Rs 1,000, or both. However, the offence is bailable and non-cognizable. According to Section 20 of the Telegraph Act, if any person establishes, maintains or operates a telegraph within the country in contravention of the provisions of Section 4 which allows only licenced ones to do the same, the person may be booked under the provisions of the Act.

The Union Home Ministry had asked Delhi Police to book them if they were found to have violated the provisions of the Indian Telegraph Act. But the duo, who were in possession of sophisticated equipment used for recording conversation between the ATC and the pilot and a high-powered binocular, claimed that they were into the hobby of plane spotting.

They had called up the hotel from London before their India trip specifically demanding a room overlooking the international airport, sources said. Some of the blogs also put conversation between the pilot and ATC online. Besides examining the sophisticated equipment, investigators have checked the hard disks of their laptops besides e-mails sent by them".

[Rene Klok]

If convicted, they will have to serve a prison term of up to three years, or pay a fine extending to up to Rs 1,000, or both.

Go to prison for three years or pay a fine of Rs 1000? Something is out of balance if you consider the exchange rate of the Rupee.

[Maurice]

If convicted, they will have to serve a prison term of up to three years, or pay a fine extending to up to Rs 1,000, or both.

Go to prison for three years or pay a fine of Rs 1000? Something is out of balance if you consider the exchange rate of the Rupee.

You're right! I'd be willing to take some risk for 16 euros

[Hans]

from http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/fo ... 46594.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The guys have been released but have to return to court next Wednesday to give the judge time to establish whether or not the SBS box can transmit signals as well as receive. So this should be a simple clarification and maybe they can come home.

Regards,

Hans

[aviodromefriend]

If convicted, they will have to serve a prison term of up to three years, or pay a fine extending to up to Rs 1,000, or both.

Go to prison for three years or pay a fine of Rs 1000? Something is out of balance if you consider the exchange rate of the Rupee.

You're right! I'd be willing to take some risk for 16 euros

I don't think you are the one that can decide to go to jail or pay the fine. That's up to the judge, as far as I understand.

[Le Addeur noir]

Possibly a statement of the obvious,but India is an extremely bureaucratic country with overlapping agencies each with it's own agenda and these spotters seem to be suffering from each government agency trying to influence the outcome of this affair.

One agency may agree that an SBS box cannot transmit,but some other governmaent department may well stick it's nose in and seek a different outcome.

The Indian so-called "popular" press has latched on to this story and is playing up the spy and terrorist angles to gain headlines.

[Henk Voortwijs]

Two British plane spotters detained in Delhi could face up to three years in prison after they were charged with illegally intercepting communications between pilots and airport authorities.

Full story: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... 035874.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 528476.stm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Stratofreighter]

More updates elsewhere on this forum: http://www.scramble.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=60677" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; .