TRAI has enough powers for action against unregistered telemarketers: Paytm tells Delhi HC

Online payment platform Paytm on Wednesday informed the Delhi High Court that Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has enough and adequate powers for initiating action against telemarketers who are not getting themselves registered.

The company also sought the implementation of Regulation 3 of Telecom Commercial Communication Customer Preference Regulation (TCCCPR), 2018, to curb fraud and regulate 'unsolicited commercial communication'.

A division bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan granted time to TRAI after its counsel sought the adjournment of the matter for a few weeks so that further progress of registration may be shown to the court.

The High Court, which was hearing a plea filed by One97 Communications Ltd accusing telecom compes of not blocking the numbers involved in defrauding its customers by "phishing" activities, also asked it to file an affidavit indicating the progress regarding registration and slated the matter for further hearing on August 28.

Senior Advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for One97 Communications Ltd (parent company of Paytm), said that out of the total nine lakh entities to be registered, approximately 20 thousand were registered earlier and by now approximately 80,000 headers and 50,000 principal entities have got themselves registered under TCCCPR, 2018.

Dave said that TRAI has enough and adequate powers under the law, especially, under Section 29 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 read with Regulation 28 of the said regulations for initiating action against those who are not getting themselves registered.

In its plea, Paytm sought damages to the tune of Rs 100 crore from telecom compes submitting that millions of its customers have been defrauded by the phishing activities over mobile networks and blamed the telcos for not preventing the same.

( With inputs from ANI )