SC notice to Centre on ‘snooping’ move

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 14

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre on PILs challenging its notification authorising 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any computer system.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi asked the Centre to respond in six weeks.

Petitioners Manohar Lal Sharma and Amit Sahni sought quashing of December 20 notification that empowered 10 central agencies for computer interception and analysis, terming the “blanket surveillance” unconstitutional.

The government’s move created a political storm with the opposition accusing it of trying to create a “surveillance state”. But government has maintained that the rules for intercepting and monitoring computer data were framed in 2009 when the Congress-led UPA was in power and its new order only notified the designated authority which can carry out such action.

The 10 agencies notified under the new order are the Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (for Income Tax Department), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, Directorate of Signal Intelligence (in service areas of J-K, North East and Assam) and Delhi Police commissioner.