US doctor stopped from boarding at Puducherry airport for carrying satellite phone
A US-based ophthalmologist was stopped from boarding at the Puducherry airport for carrying a satellite phone.The doctor, identified as 32-year-old Rachel Anne Scott, was reportedly in the union territory to visit doctors at Aravind Eye Hospital. She was reportedly carrying an Iridium satellite phone.She had also visited Madurai in Tamil Nadu and several other yet-to-be-ascertained places earlier.
She was stopped from boarding a Hyderabad-bound flight after airport authorities found the satellite phone upon search.advertisementLaspet police were informed who have initiated an investigation.Satellite phones like Thuraya and Iridium are banned in India without prior permission from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).On January 30, 2025, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed all airlines flying into India to announce this ban in-flight and inform passengers through overseas offices and in-flight magazines.Travellers, including foreign nationals, must not carry or use such devices without written approval as unauthorised satellite phones will be confiscated, and carriers may face legal action. The UK recently updated its travel advisory, warning citizens they could be fined or arrested for carrying satellite phones in India.India enforces some of the world's strictest telecom rules due to security concerns. Recent cases include the detention of US nationals at Dehradun and Chennai airports.advertisement
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