KOZHIKODE: When the Pegasus snooping issue is rocking the country and abroad, a leading centre giving coaching for competitive examinations at Koyilandy here is garnering huge attention online.
The centre's app has been downloaded more than 1,000 times and umpteen enquiry calls made to the institution in the past few days. The reason -- the coaching centre's name is Pegasus. In all probability, peeping toms and those who like to know of others' private lives are inadvertently downloading the app thinking it is the same spyware software of NSO Group of Israel used for snooping on leading political leaders, top government officials and even a Supreme Court judge.
The coaching centre's app which was launched in June last year had only 1,000 downloads in a whole year until Pegasus snooping issue cropped up. "The total downloads numbered 2,065 till 5pm on Wednesday. Of these, 1,055 happened in the past two days. On Tuesday alone, 600 people downloaded it," says Sanoop P C, who owns the Pegasus coaching centre.
Sanoop made available his Centre's app on Google Play Store after the Covid outbreak that led to all physical class sessions being stopped. Now, his office staff are receiving enquiry calls 24x7 in Hindi, Tamil and other languages.
"Many want to know how to manage the app. The calls are coming even at odd hours, mostly from Hindi-speaking people. I received calls from women as well," said Abin K T, office staff of Pegasus. The callers obtain the number through a link, 'Call your institution', after downloading the app.
Sanoop says his centre's Facebook page is also inundated with hundreds of friend requests. "Ninety per cent of them are from outside Kerala, " says Sanoop, who is amused by the unexpected publicity.