Return hi-tech phone-tapping devices: MHA

Worried over the possible tapping of their cellphones, petrified opposition leaders, bureaucrats, a few ruling party MLAs and even ministers in Haryana, can heave a sigh of relief now.

Worried over the possible tapping of their cellphones, petrified opposition leaders, bureaucrats, a few ruling party MLAs and even ministers in Haryana, can heave a sigh of relief now.

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Terming "off-air" interceptions (a computer-based contraption that can intercept and record call content of a GSM network) as completely illegal, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a directive to state governments across the country to surrender all passive off-air GSM interception devices at their disposal to prevent unauthorised phone tapping.

Though the Haryana government has issued necessary instructions in this regard to the state CID (which has the custody of a passive off-air apparatus), neighbouring Punjab has denied having the gadget.