SC may lift gag on Amar phone-taps

The Supreme Court on Tuesday indicated that its order gagging the media from publishing and telecasting the tapped conversation of former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh with top political leaders and Bollywood stars may be lifted.

We dont have to vacate the injunction as there is nothing surviving in your petition since it was done on forged documents, observed a Bench comprising Justice G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly. Your incursion of privacy is established but your cure lies against Reliance which intercepted your calls. You have other remedy.

The court made these remarks when senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi,appearing for Singh,pleaded that his privacy would be further violated after the gag order was removed.

The Bench said the leader could seek alternative remedy against the telecom operator,Reliance Infocomm,which had allowed tapping on the forged documents in 2005.

Singhvi then pleaded that some time be given to Singh to take action against people and the company responsible for tapping before the stay on the publication and broadcast of conversation was removed.