Hyderabad: The High Court, during a hearing on the phone tapping case on Tuesday, emphasized the gravity of the issue, highlighting its implications on individual privacy and national security. The Bench, led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice T. Vinod Kumar, is addressing a suo motu case involving the alleged tapping of High Court Judges’ phones.
Chief Justice Alok Aradhe described the matter as a “serious concern,” while Justice T. Vinod Kumar underscored its significance in terms of “privacy” and “national security.”
Representing the Union Home Secretary and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Deputy Solicitor General of India, Gadi Praveen Kumar, attended the hearing. The Chief Secretary of Telangana, the Director General of Police (DGP), the Principal Secretary of the Home Department, the Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence), and the Commissioner of Police were represented by Additional Advocate General Imran Khan.
The court granted the parties three weeks to file counter affidavits, scheduling the next hearing for July 3.
The court initiated the suo motu case following a newspaper report. The report indicated that Justice Sarath Kaja of the Telangana High Court was potentially targeted in an illegal phone-tapping operation during the BRS rule, as per a confessional statement by Bhujanga Rao.
The investigation also revealed that the phones of student leaders, journalists, and family members of opposition leaders were tapped. These activities allegedly took place during the by-elections in the Dubbaka, Huzurnagar, and Munugode Assembly constituencies.
