No privacy left for anybody, says SC; takes serious note of C'garh govt tapping IPS officer's phone

The Supreme Court Monday took serious note of the Chhattisgarh government's action of tapping the phones of a senior IPS officer and his family members and said "no privacy is left for anybody".

The apex court asked the Chhattisgarh government as to whether right to privacy of a person can be violated like this.

A bench of justices Arun Mishra and Indira Banerjee asked the state government to file a detailed affidavit explaining as to who ordered the tapping of phones and the reasons for it.

"What is the need to do like this? No privacy is left for anybody. What is happening in this country," the bench said adding, "can privacy of somebody be violated like this? Who ordered this? File a detailed affidavit".

The top court also took exception that a separate FIR that has been lodged against an advocate who is representing the IPS officer before the apex court.

It stayed the investigation against the lawyer and said that no coercive steps be taken against him till further orders.

The bench told senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, who is representing IPS officer Mukesh Gupta, not to politicise the issue by dragging the name of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in the matter.

The top court directed that the name of the Chief Minister shall be struck off from the memo of parties in the petition.

In the petition, the IPS officer has arrayed the name of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister as one of the respondents.