Mobile Businessmen Protest Destruction of Seized Phones in Siraha

Kathmandu. Mobile businessmen have protested the incident where local administration destroyed about 500 seized mobile phones and smartwatches during an examination in Siraha by submerging them in water.

Speakers participating in the program titled 'My Mobile, My Data: Where is the Security?' organized by the Federation of Mobile Businessmen Nepal on Friday stated that the incident is a serious matter from both legal and ethical perspectives.

Speaking at the program, Deepak Malhotra, President of the Mobile Importer Association of Nepal, said that destroying the seized mobile phones was a sad and irresponsible act. He demanded an investigation into whose instructions such a decision was made and strict action against those responsible.

He said, 'People who do not understand the law destroyed mobile phones for a small reason. That is a very sad incident. Under whose instructions were they destroyed? They should be identified and strict action should be taken. The destroyed mobile phones should be compensated and accountability should be established. Because for years, a lot of hard work has been put into storing data in mobile phones, and that has been destroyed. Who will provide compensation for this and how? The concerned bodies should consider these issues and take strict action.'

He stated that mobile phones are not just devices but also store years of users' hard work, personal details, and important data, and their destruction has caused great damage.

He said that the concerned bodies should take necessary steps to compensate for the destroyed mobile phones and provide justice to the affected individuals.

DSP Ritesh Singh of the Information Technology Directorate of Nepal Police and advocate Anil Kumar Sah on behalf of the petitioner also expressed their views at the program.

They discussed legal provisions and the roles of responsible bodies regarding digital devices, personal data contained within them, and the privacy of citizens.

Currently, the incident of destroying seized mobile phones and smartwatches in Siraha has sparked a debate on digital rights, personal data security, and the accountability of government bodies. Businessmen have demanded that the government conduct an impartial investigation into the incident and take necessary action against those responsible.