Kathmandu — Police have arrested a man for illegally sending around five million SMS messages in a single day, allegedly to create panic and mobilize people for a pro-royalist demonstration.
The Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office arrested 34-year-old Nirdesh Sedhai from Hattisar, Kathmandu, at around 8:00 pm on Tuesday. According to police, Sedhai misused a bulk SMS alert system to disseminate mass messages calling for a royalist protest scheduled for 12:00 pm on December 10.
Spokesperson for the Crime Investigation Office, Superintendent of Police Kazi Kumar Acharya, said Sedhai was taken into custody following an investigation triggered by media reports.
“We took Sedhai under control at around 8:00 pm on Monday. A detailed investigation and interrogation are currently underway,” SP Acharya said.
Misuse of AT Alert System
Police said Sedhai had exploited the AT Alert bulk SMS system, sending millions of unsolicited messages across the Kathmandu Valley within a short period. The messages reportedly urged recipients to participate in a pro-monarchy demonstration, creating widespread alarm and confusion among the public.
The issue first came to light after Peoples reported the unauthorized SMS messages in their phones. Based on report, police initiated an investigation and moved swiftly to bring the situation under control.
Business Front Used for SMS Services
According to police sources, Sedhai has been operating a company named Ved Vyas Enterprises for several years. Under the company’s name, he had obtained bulk SMS services from multiple service providers and routinely sent large volumes of messages.
However, investigators found that the system was allegedly misused for political messaging without authorization, raising concerns over data privacy violations, cyber misuse, and public security risks.
Public Outrage Over Privacy Violations
The incident sparked widespread criticism on social media, with users accusing the sender of violating personal privacy and misusing digital communication infrastructure for political purposes.
Police said further investigation is ongoing to determine the source of data used for messaging, the extent of coordination involved, and whether additional individuals or institutions were complicit.
