Shahid, who owns a shop, Sargam Telecom, was taken into custody by a CID team from Andhra Pradesh and Bengal and taken to Calcutta for interrogation late on Sunday evening. He apparently sold the SIM card to one Babulal Yadav of Roopnarayanpur across the state’s boundary with Bengal. Although the distance between the two towns is hardly 7 km, it is not clear why Yadav would travel to Mihijam to buy the SIM card, which is as easily available at Roopnarayanpur as well.

A manhunt has been launched to track down Yadav but police believe that the buyer used a fake name and address to buy the card. Preliminary enquiries, claimed Jamtara superintendent of police Hemant Topno, have failed to trace anyone of that name at Roopnarayanpur.The SIM card was apparently sold by Shahid in June 2006 and that too without collecting valid documents and identity proof required under the law.

Shahid is said to have claimed that the buyer had identified himself as a taxi driver and produced his driving licence as proof. He also told the police that the documents had been sent to the regional office of the service provider, in this case Hutch. The service provider is also said to have faxed the copy of the licence to the CID. But Jharkhand police denied any knowledge about the licence.