E-Paper
Alleged snooping: Inquiry underway into ‘surveillance’ of IPS officer’s mobile phone
Following a complaint by Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, a preliminary inquiry into the alleged illegal surveillance and accessing of his mobile phone’s internet protocol detail records (IPDR) and call details is underway
Following a complaint by Haryana IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, a preliminary inquiry into the alleged illegal surveillance and accessing of his mobile phone’s internet protocol detail records (IPDR) and call details is underway.
Director general of police (DGP) PK Agrawal, on February 10, ordered Panchkula commissioner of police (CP) Saurabh Singh to conduct a preliminary inquiry and submit a report immediately. The Panchkula CP subsequently asked the state law enforcement agencies including the CID, crime branch, vigilance bureau, narcotics control bureau and special task force besides all range inspector generals of police, commissioners of police, and district superintendents of police to provide information on whether Kumar’s mobile number was under surveillance or was a subject of interception and whether his call records and internet protocol detail records were acquired between January 1, 2021 and February 14, 2022.
These agencies are authorised to undertake lawful interception of mobile phones as per the procedure laid down in the Indian Telegraph Act and the Information Technology Act.
Kumar, who is posted as inspector general, Haryana Armed Police, Madhuban, wrote to the DGP that he has come to know from “reliable sources” that his IPDR including WhatsApp call details, logs and chats, and other mobile phone call details were accessed by certain police and administrative officers in an unlawful and unethical manner in 2021.
The IPS officer, who went to the court against a former state police chief, expressed apprehension that his privacy was breached since certain contempt and writ petitions in which a senior police officer and an administrative officer were respondents were pending before the courts.
“But this or any other reason cannot give a free pass to anyone to access my phone records,” Kumar said in his communication. The officer has sought registration of a criminal case after completion of inquiry.
The IPS officer, in his complaint, said being a cop he is well conversant with the procedure that should be followed to intercept the IPDR or other phone records. The justification for interception needs to be recorded and details of the case FIR along with brief facts of the case which necessitates access to intercept the call details have to be put in writing.
“But all of this seemed to have been allegedly ignored in this present case. As per the procedure laid down under Section 69 of the Information Technology Act, the request for permission to intercept must be routed through Range IG or the CP and approved by ACS, home who is the competent authority,” he wrote.
The IPS officer said his phone could have been subject of interception and surveillance by district units, CID or digital investigation training and analysis centre (DITAC).
Vij says matter not in his knowledge
Haryana home minister Anil Vij, when asked about Kumar’s complaint and the status of inquiry into the alleged unlawful interception of the phone, said he did not have any knowledge about it.
However, it is learnt that the preliminary inquiry conducted by Panchkula CP did not establish any instance of interception or surveillance of Kumar’s mobile phone or accessing of his call details and internet protocol detail records.
A formal report in this regard is likely to be submitted soon by the Panchkula CP to the DGP.
