Well-known fiction writer Sanjay Sahay has been prompted to write to the Microsoft owner of Hotmail after his email account was hacked.

 The producer of award-winning film Patang had his password hacked and his associates harassed by unidentified cyber criminals, writes Debopriya Nandy. 

The writer and businessman's account was somehow broken into, allowing the culprits to contact his friend, Matthew Stigger, via email. Stigger, residing in America, claims to have received a mail from Sahay's e-mail ID in which the latter said he was in Africa, promoting an anti-HIV/AIDS campaign taking place in Ghana, Nigeria, and that he had lost his cash and other valuables. An amount of $3,400 was also asked for, as a loan for Sahay to let him go home and clear his hotel bills. A Nigerian address was given to remit the loan amount through Western Union.

The same email was also received by other friends of Sahay, who called him on his mobile to enquire about the matter. It was then when Sahay came to realise what had happened and asked his associates not to send the money. X