Chennai, Oct. 11: As if the major problem of handling the eviction of two teams from the Indian Premier League were not enough, the BCCI’s secretary, President-elect and key administrator, N. Srinivasan, had to deal with a cyber stalker who may have hijacked his mobile phone number to send a curious SMS Monday, a day after Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab were sent packing from the billion-dollar league.
The message received by the franchise owners read: “As we have been saying. Please align yourself with us. Or everyone will get the same taste of the medicine we have given today to RR and KXIP. Owners should not think they are above the BCCI. You should be happy we allow you to participate. We know how to clip your wings. President and I have decided we will run the IPL the way we want to and after all its our property. You can either be a part of it or we can find a way for you to get out. We will throw Lalit Modi and anyone attached with him. So best avoid talking to him.”
The BCCI issued a statement denying Srinivasan had sent messages. “This is clearly a case of foul play, and complaints to that effect are being lodged with the concerned mobile phone service, and the police, for immediate action,” BCCI Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said in a release. Srinivasan told a news agency, “You see, I am complaining to cyber crime department of the police. Somebody has hacked my service provider or whatever. I haven’t sent any message, 100 per cent. Somebody, you can all know, is attacking me,” he said.
“Just now I got to know about this, so I am complaining to the police. Obviously you know I have some credibility, I am a reputed industrialist, would I send some stupid messages?” he asked.
A cyber expert at Chennai cyber crime branch says it is possible to ‘morph’ any mobile phone number to send SMS, either from a mobile phone or from a computer SMS program run on what is known as ‘spoofing’ software.
The computer SMS program makes morphing simpler while those doing it from mobile phones are thought to be hackers with high knowledge of computer electronics.
Rajasthan Royals who were said to have been handed their termination of contract notice only at 6 pm Monday, are contemplating going to court on Tuesday. Kings XI are also expected to follow suit when they are in receipt of the notice scrapping their agreement with the BCCI and IPL.