HC junks plea to withdraw laptops from Defence Min officials

The Delhi High Court today refused to entertain a plea seeking direction to Ministry of Defence to withdraw laptops and computers issued to its officials for working from home claiming that sensitive data may land in "wrong hands".
"We do not find any public interest in the present writ petition. The same is dismissed," a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said.
The plea had claimed that "sensitive defence electronic data continues to move out of 'Defence Security Zone' through the laptops and the data transfer device of computers despite prohibition on such movement."
It was filed by Uttarakhand resident S K Gandhi, a retired senior auditor of the Defence Accounts Department.

It said the ministry should be directed to withdraw the laptops and computers issued for doing office work at the residence to those officers of department headed by Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), who have office situated in the 'Defence Security Zone'.
CGDA heads the defence accounts department which deals with audit, payment and accounting of all charges pertaining to the armed forces, including bills for supplies and services rendered.

In his plea, the petitioner had said that Defence Ministry and CGDA may kindly be directed to withdraw the laptops and computers issued for doing office work at the residence to those officers of the department headed by the CGDA, who have office situated in 'Defence Security Zone'.

He had claimed he had written to CGDA on the issue but its reply was "false and evasive".
"With the suppression of the petitioner's representation, defence electronic datas continue to move out of defence security zone and as such, remains at the risk of falling in wrong hands," it had alleged.