No intervention over phone tapping of Amar Singh: SC

New Delhi, Jan 3: The Supreme Court today declined to entertain an intervention application alleging that the conversation recorded during the phone tapping of Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh contained details of shady deals being struck by him with the industrial houses and others for procuring licenses and for geting their bids accepted for illegal gratification.

Prashant Bhushan appearing for intervener Centre for Public Interest Litigation contended before the Court that even if the means of collecting information for exposing scandals by public servants are illegal the allegations cannot be thrown out and must be investigated in accordance with law.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal and Justice C K Thakkar told the intervener to file a seperate and substantive petition and such application cannot be entertained in this case.

Solicitor General GE Vahanvati earlier told the Court that the guidlines and rules to check interception of telephonic conversation which violate the privacy of an individual have already been framed and implemented by the government.

He also undertook to file the guidlines and rules in the Court.

The Court has granted eight weeks time to the government to place on record the guidlines and rules framed and implemented to check invasion on privacy of citizens.

Senior counsel Soli Sorabjee appearing for Reliance told the Court that his client has already implemented the government guidlines on the issue.

The Apex Court is going to issue fresh guidelines to safeguard the privacy of individuals against illegal phone tapping after considering the guidelines framed by the Union Government.

UNI