Connect with us

Daily News

Can’t Disclose Info On Phone Tapping, TRAI Tells Delhi HC

The Trai, India’s telecom regulator, has challenged in the Delhi high court an order asking it to provide information to consumers on phone tapping of their mobile numbers by the government agencies.

But, a bench of CJ Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao didn’t stay the order while issuing notice to the RTI applicant, Kabir Shankar Bose – a Supreme Court lawyer – on whose plea Central Information Commission (CIC) first asked the Trai to reveal information.

In an appeal against the original HC order, Trai invoked nation’s security to argue it cannot access information on phone tapping. Assailing the interim order of a single judge, Trai said it cannot disclose such details as it could affect nation’s sovereignty and integrity and that phone tapping was carried out by law enforcement agencies.

Challenging a CIC order, which said Trai has powers to find out from service providers which mobile user’s phone is being tapped, Trai said it can’t access the details from private service providers.

The CIC’s decision was upheld by a single judge HC bench on December 7 saying that Trai has the obligation to get the information from the private body and furnish it to the service subscriber. Trai has, in its appeal, sought the quashing of both orders.

The HC agreed to examine the appeal, but did not stay the earlier order after the lawyers for the RTI applicant assured the bench that Bose won’t push for contempt proceedings against Trai till the time the appeal is pending.

The bench then issued notice to Bose, and asked him to indicate his stand on the plea by Trai by January 16, 2019, the next date of hearing.

The telecom regulator said that directions for interception of a phone number are issued only by government officials of certain ranks and such information cannot be collated by it or furnished to a consumer, as it would “prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of the nation”. It has also contended that such information, pertaining to security of the nation, is exempt from disclosure under the RTI. – The Times of India

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Copyright © 2024 Communications Today

error: Content is protected !!