Reliance: Cops knew about tapping
New Delhi, Feb. 14: The Reliance Communications coming under Supreme Court scrutiny on the tapping of former SP leader, Mr Amar Singh’s phone on alleged “forged” letters of Delhi government and Delhi Police, on Monday told the apex court that the company could not be blamed as police were fully aware of the interception.
Reliance Communications filed an affidavit through its counsel, Mr Ram Jethmalani, after the apex court on Friday had asked the Centre why its licence was not cancelled for tapping the phone on “forged” letters without cross checking with the police and the Delhi administration.
The Reliance’s nodal officer Col (retired) A.K. Sachdeva in the affidavit said the company “acted with perfect honesty and care and caution required by the rules. There was no reason to suspect the genuineness of the communication of October 22, 2005, received from the joint commissioner of police, Mr Ranjit Narayan.
On the basis of the letter of Mr Narayan, Mr Singh’s phone was put on surveillance and was intercepted for 15 days but stopped after the 15 days period was over as under rule police could not order interception beyond this.
In separate letters of October 26, 2005, and November 7, 2005, sent to the deputy secretary of home, Mr Peter Bara, the Delhi government and the joint commission of police, Mr Karnail Singh, details of all the phones being intercepted, including that of Mr Singh, were provided to them.
Subsequently the company received a letter from the Delhi government principal secretary (home), Mr Narayanswamy “authorising” interception of Mr Singh’s phone for 30 more days.
However, the Delhi police had said the letters of Mr Ranjit Narayan and Mr Narayanswamy were forged.
But the company submitted that once it had made Delhi government and the police aware of the interception of Mr Singh’s phone and got further permission for tapping the same for 90 more days “there was no reason to suspect the authenticity of their either of the communications”.
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