MHA to seek legal opinion on Essar phone tapping probe

NEW DELHI: The home ministry will seek a legal opinion before announcing any probe into the alleged tapping of telephone conversations of some top industrialists and politicians by the Essar Group.

The move comes a day after the PMO asked the home ministry to take “appropriate action” into the complaint filed by a lawyer. Home minister Rajnath Singh is likely to take a final call on the issue.

A senior home ministry official said: “We will have to examine whether an action can be initiated into an unauthorised phone tapping. Whether the government can take suo-motu cognizance, or will it need a complaint from a victim whose phone has been tapped.” The official said irrespective of the complaint, illegal phone tapping was an offence and violation under the Indian Telegraph Act.