(via slashdot) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmedabad/ATS_questioning_the_duo_in_GPS_case_from_Jamnagar/articleshow/3810468.cms
ATS questioning the duo in GPS case from Jamnagar 8 Dec 2008, 2315 hrs IST, Parth Shastri , TNN Ahmedabad : It is day three of police custody for the duo nabbed by cops for snooping around Jamnagar. And, yet Gujarat police is not sure whether the two are indeed guilty of subversive activities. ATS officials are quizzing the two men, Mahesh Parab and Anil Jagtap, about what exactly were they doing close to Jamnagar. Sources said: "They are being grilled on what data were they collecting. We have to cross-check their credentials." According to ATS officials, Mahesh and Anil claim to be employees of Biond Software Ltd, a Dombivali-based software company in Mumbai. They were caught from Khambhalia on Saturday night as they were travelling in a car fitted with a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking device. They also had some area topography maps and a laptop containing distance charts, digital maps of Guajrat coastal line and even Wagha border. "We have not given them a clean chit so far, nor have we declared them guilty. The investigation is on, officials are going through the material seized from them," said a senior ATS official. A police official told TOI that more than the data, the agency is interested in knowing to what end is the data used. "A detailed map can show strategic locations or disclose sensitive information, it can be used by terrorists or people with malafide interests. Thus, we are going through the maps and also questioning them about their clients," said the official. When TOI contacted Biond's corporate office, the spokesperson said that the company is assigned to collect the Geographical Information (GI) for GPS-enabled devices in mobile phones, cars and digital maps used by private and government organisations. "Usually an application intimating the district administration and police, detailing our nature work is sent. However, sometimes it happens that due to our elaborate mapping and presence of GPS device, our personnel have to explain their work. In this case, it seems, the application did not reach the district or police headquarters," said company spokesperson, Tulsi Das. "Managing director of the company will be in Gujarat on Tuesday to meet ATS and other senior police officials. In all our projects we get our maps approved by national security agencies and armed forces, thus, we do not have anything to hide," said Das.
