The Hindu : Front Page : Court restrains media in phone tapping case

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Feb 28, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

Court restrains media in phone tapping case

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday restrained the electronic and print media from telecasting or publishing the contents of unauthorised tapped telephone conversations involving Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh or any other person.

A three-judge Bench comprising Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal and Justices C.K. Thakker and R.V. Raveendran passed the order on a writ petition filed by Mr. Singh demanding a judicial inquiry into the alleged tapping of his phone by the Delhi police.

It also passed an interim direction to restrain the media from telecasting or publishing taped conversations with film stars and industrialists.

"Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, we direct the electronic and print media not to publish or display the unauthorised and illegal telephone tape versions of anyone till the matter is further heard and guidelines are issued by this court."

The Bench noted that both Solicitor-General G.E. Vahanvati and Additional Solicitor-General Gopal Subramanian had said no prejudice would be caused by its passing a restraint order.

Earlier, senior counsel for the petitioner Mukul Rohtagi said that in extraordinary situations, such as the tapping of Mr. Singh's telephone, the media could be restrained from publishing or broadcasting the conversations.

He said Reliance Infocomm had tapped the telephones of 323 persons, including Mr. Singh, without authorisation. "We do not know about the other service providers." The incident concerned his client's reputation. "The fact is that Mr. Amar Singh's telephones were tapped illegally and the CDs are going the round."

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