How IMEI number can help in Aarushi murder case?

BANGALORE, INDIA: Sixteen months after the sensational murder of Noida teenager Aarushi Talwar in May 2008, the Delhi Police’s crime branch is reported to have finally traced her missing mobile phone on Monday.

The question now is how technology can play a role in cracking the case. Aarushi's black Nokia N72 phone, a crucial piece of evidence in the case, was recovered from Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr town by the Delhi Police Crime Branch on Saturday. The handset has been reportedly recovered along with the teenager's SIM card also.

The Global Systems for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) maintains a worldwide database of genuine IMEI numbers. This is activated and updated every 15 days in the Equipment Identity Register of mobile operators' networks.

The IMEI number is used to identify mobile calls. All handsets manufactured by licensed producers comes with the IMEI number.

The investigating agencies can now obtain the crucial call details made from and received by Aarushi's handset which can eventually help them nab the murderers.

Equipment Identity Register

The Department of Telecom (DoT) has already issued directions to the mobile operators for installing Equipment Identity Register (EIR). The DoT plans to gradually ban processing of calls originating from handsets with fake or without any IMEI numbers.

The 16 digit IMEI

Whenever a user makes a call from the his handset the 16-digit IMEI on genuine handsets gets reflected at the operator's network thus enabling identification of the caller or lawful interception of all calls.

Mobile operators store the 16-digit IMEI in Equipment Identity Register (EIR) so that a stolen handset can be barred from usage. But in the case of handsets with 15-digit IMEI, they are unable to do so.