ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has strongly denied charges of illegal phone interception of the National Security Advisor ( NSA ) during the tenure of former CBI Director Alok Verma Replying to a petition seeking investigation by a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate alleged illegal phone tapping of Doval by the CBI, the agency today strongly denied all the allegations.“The telephone calls of Ajit Doval and Rakesh Asthana (former CBI special Director) were not intercepted at any point of time by CBI special unit. It is also submitted that CBI never put any telephone number under surveillance illegally. The veiled reference of the petitioner to illegal interception of phone numbers of Law Secretary and other IAS officers is vehemently denied”, CBI said in its reply.The agency has said it has always adhered to the laid down norms for telephonic surveillance. It also denied charges that the then head of CBI’s special unit Rakesh Rathi illegally intercepted telephones. The agency, in its reply, said the charges are “incorrect”.The agency filed its reply to a petition filed by Advocate Sarthak Chaturvedi who had alleged that some CBI officials had abused their powers by violating the existing guidelines on phone tapping and surveillance. Chaturvedi’s petition had also questioned as to whether permission was receiving for tapping the phone of Doval and others by the CBI.Denying all charges as “incorrect, false and baseless”, the agency has said that the averments “regarding illegal acts of abuse of powers by public servants for their ulterior motive are denied being false and incorrect. It is further denied that the policy framed by the government regarding tracing, tapping and surveillance of phone calls is not comprehensive”.The reply added that phones of the accused- booked by CBI in October last year in a corruption case- were “lawfully put under surveillance as per the authorization obtained from competent authority under the provisions of Indian Telegraph Act and Rules”.With regard to allegations of India withdrawing from contesting election for delegate in INTERPOL because of dispute between the then Director Alok Verma and the agency’s number two Rakesh Asthana, the CBI has feigned ignorance.“However, the withdrawal of India from contesting election for delegate in INTERPOL because of the alleged interse dispute between two officials of CBI is denied for want of knowledge”, CBI’s reply reads.Seeking dismissal of Chaturvedi’s petition, the agency has underlined that “all the interception by CBI are undertaken after due compliance of Section 5 (2) of Indian Telegraph Act and 419 (A) of the Indian Telegraph Rules”.It added “in exercise of powers provided by Section 7 of the Indian Telegraph Act 1885, the Central government has already framed rules and comprehensive guidelines in light of directions given by the Supreme Court in People’s Union for Civil Liberties versus Union of India & another”.The reply concludes by saying “the responsibility and accountability of the CBI towards national security and privacy of individuals are borne by apprising the competent authority regularly about the outcome of the telephonic surveillance for which authorization from competent authority is obtained”.