Phone tapping row: MHA seeks call data

With the alleged phone tapping creating stir between the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Chief Ministers, the Union Home Ministry issued a warning to both the states to inform the Centre regarding the issue.

The Home Ministry cited section 91 of the CrPC and gave a letter to both the states after the Supreme Court’s orders on Thursday directing Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) to produce call data records within a week. An official stated that the application was also subject to safeguard under sections 123 and 124 of the Indian Evidence Act which requested the Court to ask subscribers to provide call data records under Section 91.

Ministry sources said that the personal feud is leading to pressure on service providers for disclosure of data which in turn might endanger law enforcement and Intelligence agencies under the scanner for anti-national activities.

With AP Govt asking the cellular operators for the data regarding certain cellular phone numbers to be disclosed while Telangana prohibited them from disclosing any information putting the operators in spot between AP and Telangana government.