The State government has officially entrusted the probe into the alleged tapping of phones during the tenure of the earlier coalition government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
On Monday, the Home Department (Crime) released an order transferring the case registered with the cyber crime cell of the Bengaluru Police to the central agency. The CBI will investigate the alleged illegal interception of telephone conversations of members of the ruling party, opposition parties as well as their relatives and government servants from August 1, 2018 till the date of the order. The CBI will also investigate the person or persons involved in the alleged act, the order says.
The government has referred the case to the CBI based on the recommendation of the State police chief. The order states that the Director General and Inspector General of Police had recommended that crime number 6963/2019 registered in the Cyber Crime Police Station, Bengaluru under Section 72 of the Indian Technology Act, 2000 and Section 26 of Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, be investigated by an independent agency.
“Because of this illegal, unauthorised, unwanted activity of telephone interception in the State, it is apprehended that crucial and personal information of many senior political leaders and government servants might have been leaked, which is likely to infringe upon their right to privacy,” states the order.
