Taking serious note of Central and state monitoring agencies still not following proper norms in interception of phone calls, emails and SMSes, the Centre in a fresh missive to these agencies has warned that proper procedures should be followed else stringent penal action would be taken against the concerned nodal officers.
Following the Raja-Radia phone tapping controversy, the Centre for the first time in 2011 had drafted standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all Central and state monitoring agencies that have been authorised for interceptions. Interestingly, the SOPs were not merely about how the phone calls, emails and SMSes should be intercepted but also as to how their records should be destroyed.
Highly-placed government sources said it has been noticed that despite the guidelines, the procedures were not being followed strictly. It was observed, sources added, that some agencies were still taking interception permission from the concerned authority even after they had put a particular number under surveillance.
According to the standard operating procedures, this can only be done in an exceptional cases where the concerned agency is posted in remote areas or along the borders where it is difficult to reach the authorising authority well in time. But, sources claimed, surprisingly it was noticed that agencies, including some state and Central intelligence agencies, were continuing to flout the norms though they can easily take permission before starting their electronic and technical surveillance.
Similarly, during a security audit done by the Centre recently it was observed that adequate measures had not been put in place to secure the intercepted data or to even destroy them.
“Often it was found that the record rooms where interceptions are done and data is stored are not properly guarded and can be easily accessed by anyone. The situation is particularly bad in the states,” a senior security official said.