Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) [India], July 3 (ANI): In a sophisticated case of cyber extortion, miscreants in Ujjain are targeting e-rickshaw operators by using a pirated smartphone application to remotely hijack and freeze moving vehicles through Bluetooth, demanding ransoms to reactivate them, officials said.

The Ujjain Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) and taken an individual into custody after complaints surfaced regarding widespread vehicle hacking across the city.

The cyber-attack involves a mobile application named 'BAT-BMS,' which accesses the digital Battery Management System (BMS) of the e-rickshaws, disabling their power supply mid-route.

Detailing the modus operandi, Neel Ganga Police Station In-charge Tarun Kuril stated that the racket came to light following a targeted extortion incident at Loti Tiraha.

'We received information that an auto-rickshaw driver's vehicle had stalled at Loti Tiraha, and a young man charged him Rs 200 under the pretext of fixing it. Upon inquiry, the driver revealed that e-rickshaws in the city are currently being shut down remotely--specifically, their batteries are being disabled via a mobile app. Some miscreants use this app to immobilise the vehicles and then demand money to restart them,' Kuril said.

'We have registered an FIR regarding this matter. The accused was taken into custody yesterday and produced in court today. It is worth noting that several such incidents are occurring across the city, with complaints coming in from various locations. The Ujjain Traffic Police is actively addressing this issue,' the police official added.

To counter the threat, local law enforcement is collaborating with electronic vehicle dealers to deploy security countermeasures, ensuring operators install legitimate, authorised software capable of resetting their systems in the event of a signal breach.

Commenting on the technical and legal dimensions of the hacking, legal experts have categorised the operation as a serious statutory violation rather than a localised nuisance or scam.

Pawan Duggal, Chairman of the International Commission on Cyber Security Law, emphasised that modern commercial electric transport falls under the purview of strict digital legislation.

'Today, an e-rickshaw is not just an e-rickshaw; it's a computer system and therefore, if it's operating in the digital format, it's got some memory functions. I am very clear this is not a game; this is an offence under Section 66 read with Section 43 of the Information Technology Act 2000 because this is an activity that's done dishonestly or fraudulently where people enter into the computer system of an e-rickshaw without the consent or the knowledge of the owner,' Duggal said.

Under the provisions of the IT Act, individuals found guilty of unauthorised access and modification of vehicular software face up to three years of rigorous imprisonment alongside a fine of Rs 5 lakh. Investigation into the supply and modification networks of the pirated app remains ongoing. (ANI)