Kathmandu, January 15, 2026 – Nirdesh Sedhai has been arrested for allegedly sending approximately 5–6 million SMS messages to the public, urging them to participate in a political demonstration. The case has raised serious concerns about mobile number privacy and digital security in Nepal.
How the SMS Were Sent
Sedhai reportedly used his company, Vedvyas Enterprises Pvt Ltd, and the SMS gateway service of Akash Tech Pvt Ltd to send the messages via Nepal Telecom’s network. Millions of citizens received the messages before authorities discovered the misuse.
Nepal Telecom’s Statement
Nepal Telecom has denied providing any personal subscriber numbers. They clarified that the messages were sent by uploading number ranges in Excel sheets to a bulk SMS system. Experts say sending millions of messages is challenging without access to large-scale, restricted data, which is typically controlled by banks or government agencies.
Legal Implications
Legal specialists suggest the incident may violate the Privacy Act, Telecom Act, and Advertising Act. Police spokesperson DSP Kaji Kumar Acharya confirmed that Sedhai is under extended custody, and investigations are ongoing.
Digital Awareness and Regulation Concerns
The case highlights weak digital awareness and enforcement in Nepal. Authorities are reviewing bulk SMS regulations to prevent misuse and protect citizens’ personal information.
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