Kingpin of illegal BSNL exchange arrested

Nagpur, Mar 23 (UNI) The police here today said they have arrested a person on the charge of running an illegal parallel telephone exchange at Thadipaoni and Wadvihira in Jalalkheda taluka of this district.

The rural police sources said Ramesh Shyamrao Wankhede, the main accused who was absconding since the last two months after the racket was unearthed, was arrested yesterday on Katol-Sewagram road.

He was illegally providing both the STD and ISD facilities of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to the public with the help of former and present BSNL engineers and technicians, causing loss worth crores of rupees to the BSNL.

Police so far have arrested 15 people, including BSNL SDO Jagannath Khobragade, Junior Telecom Officer Ramesh Chahande, TTA Ganesh Gulhane and mechanic Vasanta Patil for their involvement in the racket, the sources added.

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