Delhi HC's no to SIT probe on illegal phone tapping

The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate some public officials who illegally tapped phone calls.

A Division Bench presided by Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice C. Harishankar turned down the petition filed by Sarthak Chaturvedi.

The bench said: "We see no reason to formulate further guidelines in this regard as ample amount of rules and regulations exist in the Telegraph Rules. Moreover, we see no reason to constitute an SIT to probe the officials."

The plea sought direction to constitute a SIT or direct the Centre to investigate the abuse of powers by "some public servants of CBI for having committed an offence of illegally intercepting phone calls of individuals without following due process of law and by abusing and misusing powers by a public servant for their ulterior motives".

The petitioner claimed that "some public servants working in CBI for their ulterior motives abuse their power". 

He also cited the example of a case involving former Special CBI Director Rakesh Asthana, which was registered on the instruction of ousted CBI Director Alok Verma.

"But uncontrolled and unaccountable powers may prejudice the same national security sought to be protected. The aforesaid facts reveal a violation of privacy and unaccountable/abuse and misuse of powers," the petition claimed.IANS