Three groups of youths from Jama Masjid, Delhi, released a special code, `66', in Rohtak and Bahadurgarh, in Jhajjar district. They procured a conference facility on phones which did not have STD facility. A computerised statement procured by The Indian Express

shows that the youths procured 12 telephone connections under the Own Your Telephone (OYT) scheme under fictitious names.

These telephones were used to contact people in different parts of the world, courtesy the Telecom Department of Bahadurgarh. They took seven telephones on lease in Bahadurgarh at Rs 200 each, per day, to supplement their network.

All the telephones were `controlled' by a mobile phone which functioned as the `controlroom'.

All these telephone connections were released under the OYT Special Category Scheme, without completion of necessary formalities like the proof of residence, name of the guarantor etc.

The conferencing mode system was used by the agents to contact Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Bangladesh, Ethopia, Nepal, USA and Canada. Strangely, the Telecom Department has not issued any tariff bill as the metering system was stopped, although computerised printouts reveal that calls were made to these countries.

The pass-code system, it is learnt, is controlled by Divisional Engineer, Telecom (DET). It is evident that some officials of the Engineering Department were allegedly involved.

Sources said that the agents had gone underground in April when they learnt that information about them had been leaked to intelligence agencies.

It was also learnt that a Central Bureau of Investigation team from Chandigarh had recently visited Rohtak and Bahadurgarh to investigate the modus operandi of the agents and thenature of information passed to other countries.

A K Jain, General Manager, Telecom Department, told The Indian Express that ``no private person can get a direct code,'' adding that a vigilance team had visited the department after he took over as general manager in May.

He said that rules did not permit the Telecom Department to provide conference facility. However, some of the STDs and PCOs had installed two-line instruments to facilitate conferencing for consumers. Asked if utilisation of a telephone by a third party or leasing it was permissible, he said permanent utilisation of a telephone line by a third party was illegal.