Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala police have reportedly been involved in officially leaking the phone calls of as many as 32 individuals in the state.
According to the officials, these leaks target only those engaged in anti-national activities and narcotic networks. However, since the issue does not fall under the purview of the Right to Information Act, the true extent of the practice remains known only to the police.
At the same time, there are allegations that the department is also tracking the call record details (CDR) of various individuals, including politicians and journalists, who pose challenges to the government. This tracking allows authorities to identify who made calls to whom, the timing of these calls, the length of the conversations, and even the location of the phone towers used.
Phone leaking involves the police, with approval from top officials, handing a letter in a prescribed format to the service provider to record all calls made and received by a particular number for two months. The power to leak phone calls is vested in only a handful of top-ranking officials -- from the Deputy Inspector General in charge of law and order up to the Director General of Police.
These officials can tap the phone calls of any person without the government’s consent for up to seven days. If no consent is received from the Home Secretary within this period, the tapping process must end. However, the Home Secretary can authorize phone tapping for up to two months if deemed necessary.
Access to Call Record Details (CDR)
Any unit within the Kerala Police can obtain Call Record Details (CDR) of any individual by submitting an application from the investigating officer, accompanied by a letter certified by the Superintendent of Police (SP). The details of the relevant case must also be provided. Various agencies, including Intelligence, Vigilance, Jail, and the Excise Department, utilize this service as part of their investigations.
