New Delhi: The government on Monday denied media reports that the Army had unauthorisedly deployed phone tapping equipment in the capital and said that such stories are being spread by some retired officials.
In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Defence Minister A K
Antony said, "No deployment of any phone tapping equipment at
various places in New Delhi has been reported by the Army."
He was replying on whether the Army had unauthorisedly
deployed phone tapping equipment, called off-the-air
interceptors, at various places in New Delhi as reported in
the media recently.
"Army Headquarters has informed that there are reports of
such stories being spread by some retired officials," Antony
told the House.
He also denied reports that the equipment were being
utilised to unauthorisedly tap phones of senior government
functionaries in and around New Delhi, and that his own office
was allegedly bugged.
Antony informed the House that an anonymous complaint was
made to the Defense Secretary detailing motive and `modus
operandi` of entire unauthorised tapping episode.
But he denied that government has ordered an inquiry into
the facts and circumstances mentioned in the complaint.
In reply to another question, Antony said that the
Defense Ministry has not received any report of spying.
"No case of spying has been reported in the Defense
Ministry," he said when asked on whether government has taken
cognisance of alleged reports of spying in the Defense
Ministry.
PTI
