No off-the-cuff reax to SC order on black money issue: Govt

NEW DELHI: Government today refrained from commenting on the Supreme Court order to appoint a high-level Special Investigation Team to monitor the investigation and the steps being taken to bring back black money stashed away in foreign banks, saying it would like to read it first.

"I do not think one should give off-the-cuff reaction on a Supreme Court order. If Supreme Court has given an order it is final because it is the final court. Let us first read the order," Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters here.

He said the government has only heard that such an order has been passed by the Supreme Court.

"Let us wait to see the text of the order," Chidambaram said adding that after going through the details a government spokesman will respond to it if necessary.

To a separate question on reports of government plans to intercept communications sent through Gmail or Skype, Chidambaram said the reports were based on inter-departmental communication and "no decision has been taken".

The Home Minister said a decision can be taken only after the matter comes to the ministers.