
The Telangana High Court.

The Telangana High Court.

The Telangana High Court building overlooking the Musi river in Hyderabad.
| Photo Credit:
File photo
Telangana High Court on Wednesday directed the print and electronic media not to mention the names and/or mobile phone numbers of the judges in their reports connected to ‘telephone tapping case’.
A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti passed this interim direction while hearing the suo moto taken-up writ petition on telephone tapping case. The bench said that media persons should exercise restraint while reporting developments related to the case. The bench made it clear that the names of the HC judges or any of their family members and contact numbers should not be mentioned while reporting about the case. The bench said that it was noted that some media organisations and a newspaper mentioned the name of the HC judge and his mobile phone number which was allegedly tapped by a group of police officers accused of eavesdropping.
Noting that a counter affidavit was filed by the police in the taken-up writ petition, the bench cautioned the media to observe restraint while reporting. A criminal case was registered by Punjagutta police of Hyderabad on a complaint from an officer of Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) that a section of officers intercepted communications of some politicians.
Investigation into the case revealed that ‘operation of tapping mobile phones’ of some politicians, officers, private persons and media persons was carried out by SIB’s former chief T. Prabhakar Rao. Confession of one of the four arrested police officers disclosed that the accused had eavesdropped the mobile phone conversation of the HC judge. The bench adjourned the matter to July 23 for next hearing.