the goan I network
PANAJI
Telephones of around 25 people were intercepted by investigating agencies in the last two and half years. The police had taken special permission to tap telephone calls in 25 cases related to heinous crimes in the state since 2017.
“The total number of cases of tapping telephone calls which were authorized by the State Home Secretary during the period from April 2017 till date are around 25,” Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said in a written reply to a question asked by Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo, in the ongoing Assembly session on Tuesday.
Permissions granted for phone tapping were the highest in 2017 and 2018.
In 2017, phone tapping was allowed in 11 cases and in 2018 permission was granted in 12 cases. In the current year, permissions have been granted only in 2 cases of phone tapping.
Central and State
Governments have a right to tap phones under Section 5(2) of Indian Telegraphic Act, 1885.
For this, the police must first obtain a wiretap order similar to a warrant by proving to a judge that they have probable cause to believe that tapping will help them to solve a serious crime, such as drug trafficking, money laundering, or terrorism.
Also as per rule 22 of the IT (Procedure and Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and Decryption of Information) Rules 2009, all such cases of interception or
monitoring or decryption are to be placed before the review committee headed by Cabinet Secretary, which should meet at least once in two months to review such cases.
Nine such review meetings have taken place in last two and half years in the state.
