SC declines urgent hearing to PIL against govt circular on computer interception; TMC MP demands withdrawal in RS

The Supreme Court Thursday declined to give an urgent hearing to a PIL challenging the union government's notification authorising 10 central agencies to intercept and monitor any computer system.

The court merely said "as and when required" after the Public Interest Litigation(PIL) was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul.

The petition was filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma against whom the apex court had earlier in another case imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 for filing a PIL against Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over an issue related to the Reserve Bank of India's(RBI) capital reserve.

When the advocate sought an urgent hearing of his PIL against the notification on interception of computers by probe agencies, the bench asked him whether he had complied with the apex court's December 7 order of depositing Rs 50,000.

When Sharma said he has deposited the amount, the bench told him, "We will see. As and when required we will list the matter."