AP HC posts PIL on alleged phone tapping of judges to Aug 20

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday took up for hearing a PIL, filed by a lawyer, on the alleged tapping of phones of some judges and posted it to August 20 after directing the state and the Central governments to file counters.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday took up for hearing a PIL, filed by a lawyer, on the alleged tapping of phones of some judges and posted it to August 20 after directing the state and the Central governments to file counters. A division bench, comprising Chief Justice J K Maheshwari and Justice D Ramesh, also directed the petitioners lawyer to submit proof of the allegation that a senior IPS official was entrusted with the task of phone tapping.

The plea was filed by N Nimmi Grace. Additional Advocate General Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy, who presented the state government case, requested the court to make a media house party to the litigation as it came out with the story of the phones of High Court judges allegedly being tapped.

Reddy, in fact, contended that the PIL was not maintainable as the source of information of the petitioner was not reliable and "seems like a childish play." The bench asked the additional AG why the matter could not be investigated. It asked the government to file a counter by Thursday and adjourned the hearing to August 20.

Meanwhile, state Director General of Police D G Sawang wrote to TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu saying the police did not receive any complaint on phone tapping by "private persons and miscreants" using cutting-edge technology. Responding to the TDP chief's letter to the Prime Minister seeking a probe by a Central agency into the alleged phone tapping by the YSR Congress government, the DGP said: "Since the averments are grave in nature, it would only be appropriate that such violations of the provisions of Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, and Information Technology Act, 2000, may kindly be submitted to this office for prompt necessary action as per due process in accordance with law." Chandrababu Naidu wondered why the DGP had to react to a letter he addressed to the Prime Minister.

"I wrote many letters to the DGP on various issues but he never cared to respond. How could he ask for evidence from me when I made allegations about phone tapping," he asked, in a teleconference with his party leaders.

State Home Minister M Sucharita reiterated on Tuesday that the allegation of illegal phone tapping was "false." It was a conspiracy by the TDP chief to get away from the investigation into the land scandal in Amaravati, she alleged, but warned that "none can escape" from the law.