Delhi HC Denies Directive to TRAI on Tapping Information Disclosure Under RTI Act

The Delhi High Court has overturned the decision of a single-judge bench and the Central Information Commission (CIC), rejecting the direction to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to collect and disclose information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act regarding the alleged tapping of a lawyer’s phone. Kabir Shankar Bose, the mobile user in question, had initially filed an RTI application with the CIC after his telecom service provider, Vodafone, denied his request for information on potential phone tapping. Both the CIC and the single-judge bench had ruled in favor of Bose, directing TRAI to provide the requested information under the RTI Act. However, the TRAI challenged these orders, and the two-judge bench of the Delhi High Court allowed TRAI’s plea, setting aside the previous directives. The division bench justified its decision, stating that surveillance activities are carried out under government directives and in the interest of the country’s sovereignty and integrity.

Following the Delhi High Court’s decision, Kabir Shankar Bose expressed his intention to move the Supreme Court to challenge the verdict. The Supreme Court, in a previous order, highlighted that TRAI was established to regulate telecom services, safeguarding the interests of service providers and consumers while ensuring the orderly growth of the sector. Bose’s quest for information stemmed from Vodafone’s denial of his request, citing that interception directions for phone numbers are issued solely by government officials of specific ranks, and such information cannot be compiled and disclosed to consumers without jeopardizing the nation’s sovereignty and integrity.