Naidu-KCR dispute: Supreme Court gives telcos more time in tapping row

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday came to the rescue of beleaguered cellphone service providers caught in the unseemly phone-tapping row between Andhra and Telangana, permitting them more time to produce the tapping records before a Vijaywada court and also move the High Court to protect themselves from threats of prosecution from the two states.

Telangana had threatened the operators that it would file a case against the operators if they handed over the information related to the tapping of Andhra chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and other top AP officials, while Andhra warned of action against them over the tapping against the law.

Telangana’s ACB had authorised the tapping which created a political storm in the two states and led to the arrest of a TDP MLA over an alleged attempt to bribe a MLC in favour of the TDP.

Both sides have filed FIRs against each other and also the cellphone companies. The TDP for defamation, and the state of Telangana over bribery. Among the affected cell phone companies are Idea Cellular, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications. The Cellular Operators Association of India and the Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India are also parties to the case.