It appears the Andhra Pradesh high court has taken serious note of the alleged tapping of telephones of some judges, apart from opposition leaders and social activists by the state government.
On Friday, the high court served notices on 16 parties, including mobile phone service providers like Reliance, Jio, Vodaphone, Airtel, BSNL and Internet Services Providers Association president, asking them to appear before the court either in person or through their lawyers.
The high court ordered that they send their replies to the notices within four weeks.
The notices were served by the court acting on a public interest litigation seeking a special investigation into the allegations of telephone tapping of the judges.
The petitioner, Nakka Nimmy Grace from Gopalapatnam in Visakhapatnam, alleged that some high-profile persons in the government had kept a tab on the judiciary by indulging in telephone tapping, thereby damaging the reputation of the judiciary.
He requested that the high court order a CBI probe into the role of principal secretary, home department, chief secretary and director general of police in tapping, tracking and surveillance on the phones of high court judges.
The petitioner wanted that stringent action be initiated against the officials responsible for the violation of laws in tapping the phones of the judges.