Research Scholar Takes Legal Action Against Plagiarism of PhD Paper on Real-time Wireless Sensor Network for Landslide Detection

Dr. Maneesha V. Ramesh, the esteemed Director of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Deemed University, Amritapuri Campus, Kollam, has filed a protest complaint against individuals allegedly involved in the plagiarism of her pioneering PhD research paper titled “Real-time Wireless Sensor Network for Landslide Detection" before the judicial first class Magistrate Court Karunagapally, Kollam, Kerala.

 

The accused persons, identified as Manish Kumar, Mayank Tripathi, Mohit Kumar from Bhagwant Institute of Technology, Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, along with Anand Tiwari from Axis Institute of Technology and Management, Kanpur, are alleged to have jointly and without consent plagiarized Dr. Maneesha V. Ramesh's research paper, originally presented by her at the Third International Conference on Sensor Technologies and Applications in Athens, Greece, in June 2009.

 

This significant paper, centered on the deployment of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technology for landslide detection, was presented by the accused at the national conference on Trends in Signal Processing and Communication (TSPC13) held in April 2013 at Bhagwant Institute of Technology, Muzaffarpur, Uttar Pradesh. The plagiarized version of this work was subsequently published by Excel Techno Assignment India Private Limited, the fifth accused in this case, without Dr. Maneesha's knowledge or authorization.

 

Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technology stands as a pivotal innovation enabling real-time data capturing, processing, and transmission in various settings, especially in hazardous or remote scenarios. Dr. Maneesha's research outlined the design and deployment of a landslide detection system utilizing WSN technology at Anthoniar colony, Munnar, Idukki, Kerala, India.

 

The allegations brought forth in the protest  complaint suggest violations under Section 51(a) read with Section 63 of the Copyright Act and under Section 43 read with Section 66 of the IT Act. The proceedings initiated in this regard have undergone an arduous investigative process, initiated in 2013 when Dr. Maneesha first discovered the unauthorized reproduction of her work. Despite lodging complaints with the police, through (hitechcell@keralaploice.gov.in,cbiccic@bol.net.in,dgp.pol@kerala.gov.in,adgpcrimes.pol@kerala.gov.in) subsequent investigations were delayed, resulting in a prolonged legal process. Thus, the police Ochira filed UN report to the the judicial first-class Magistrate Court Karunagapally as UN 15/2020.

 

Upon receiving the notice of UN 15/2020 from the Karunagappally Magistrate Court in 2023, Dr. Maneesha Ramesh actively pursued legal recourse, leading to the Court establishing a prima facie case against the accused. Consequently, the Judicial First-Class Magistrate Court, Karunagappally, Kollam, Kerala, on 20/10/2023 in CC no 1423/2023 has ordered summons against the accused persons. All the accused persons received summons except Anand Tiwari of Kanpur. Amritapuri campus legal advisor T.K.Ajan appeared for Dr Maneesha in the court.

 

This case exemplifies the importance of upholding intellectual property rights and integrity in academic research. Dr. Maneesha Ramesh remains committed to seeking justice and ensuring that rightful credit and acknowledgment are attributed to original research contributions.