US citizen intercepted at Johnson & Johnson over satellite phone-like device, released after inspection

New Delhi/Srinagar: A satellite phone-like device was found in the luggage of US citizen Jeffrey Scott, who was visiting Srinagar airport, in apparent violation of the provisions of the Indian Telegraph Act, reports Bharti Jain and Naseer Ganai. He was allowed to fly out of the valley after being informed that he was carrying the device as a navigation aid for trekking, but was unaware that possession and use of the device was prohibited in India. The device is not banned in the United States and is commonly used by hikers as a satellite communicator to navigate remote areas without any cellular network coverage, sources said.Scott and his traveling companion Haldar Koushik, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Indian descent who had worked for the U.S. government, traveled to Kashmir via Delhi and then from Srinagar to Kathmandu via Delhi. “Scott was unaware of the ban on satellite phones in India and he brought the device from the United States to use as a navigation tool on treks in Johnson & Johnson and Nepal. Background checks conducted by agencies, including RAW, found no malicious intent on his part; ” A source told TOI. An official said Scott, who hails from Montana, has neither been detained nor arrested. No FIR has been registered against him. “The mobile phone he was carrying was not actually a satellite phone like a Garmin or Thuraya, but a phone-like device that also acted as a satellite communicator. “He was allowed to fly out after a background check found him innocent. He may leave Srinagar tonight or tomorrow,” the source added. A police officer said such communication devices are restricted in J&K and other parts of the country and are allowed only with authorization.