Panel to suggest norms for issuing SIM cards

The Supreme Court on Friday constituted a joint expert panel to recommend a procedure for telecom firms to identify customers before issuing SIM cards to them.

The Supreme Court on Friday constituted a joint expert panel to recommend a procedure for telecom firms to identify customers before issuing SIM cards to them.

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A bench headed by Chief Justice S H Kapadia fixed a deadline of three months for the panel to submit its report to the government. The panel would comprise officials of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

The bench's directions came on a plea by Avishek Goenka who had requested the court to frame guidelines for telecom firms issuing SIM Cards. He said verification norms must be made stringent in wake of recent terror attacks.

Goenka said the probe into the attacks revealed that the alleged terrorists had managed to get mobile phone connections on the basis of fake documents.

He had pointed out that both in Mumbai and Delhi blasts, the probe had reached to the conclusion that the cellular phones used by the accused were operating with SIM cards, secured on the basis of bogus documents.