New Delhi: Investigating agencies can
intercept phone calls of a person if there is sufficient
material to justify that he or she is involved in anti-social
activities, the Delhi High Court said today.
The court dismissed the plea of an accused involved in
drug trafficking cases challenging the city government`s
decision to tap his mobile phone six years back.
Haji Usman, the accused, contended interception of
telephonic conversations between him and his family members
was in violation of his right to privacy guaranteed under the
Constitution.
After going through all the records produced by the
police, Justice S Muralidhar said proper procedure had been
followed by the authorities while intercepting his calls.
"The respondents (probe agencies) have to only show
that there was sufficient material on record which formed the
basis to intercept the said mobile number. That burden has
been discharged by ," the court said.
Haji contended in his petition that he is being tried for
minor offences in a lower court and the inference drawn by the
police that he was indulging in anti-national activities was
wholly without basis.
PTI
New Delhi: The Health ministry has put on
hold the Common Entrance Test (CET) for under graduate and
post graduate medical courses apparently following objections
raised by prominent leaders in Tamil Nadu, including Chief
Minister M Karunanidhi.
Health Secretary Sujatha Rao said the decision on the
common entrance has been kept in abeyance for now but did not
elaborate.
The Medical Council of India had earlier this week
announced the CET from next year saying that the Health
ministry has already cleared it.
Yesterday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Karunanidhi and
AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa spoke in one voice against CET for
Medical education, saying it will affect the state`s 69 per
cent reservation policy.
Karunanidhi said he had already written to Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh on August 15, expressing the state`s
inability to accept CET as it had been abolished in the state.
Jayalalitha said, the Centre`s move would sound a
"death knell" to social justice.
Echoing similar views, S Ramadoss of PMK, a backward-
Vanniyar community based party with significant electoral
clout, said the new proposal, if implemented, would allow a
"back-door entry" of CET in the state.
If a CET for medical courses as per the MCI proposal
was introduced, it will result in a situation where more
students from other states would come to the state for
education but may not stay here after graduating, he said.
-PTI
