The Economic Times | March 22, 2011 | Deepshikha Sikarwar
NEW DELHI: The income tax authorities will need to go through another layer of scrutiny before they are allowed permission to listen to private phone conversation.
All requests for phone tapping of tax offenders or those believed to be involved in illicit movement of money will have to be approved by the revenue secretary before they are forwarded to the home ministry. “All requests will have to be routed through revenue secretary,” a government official privy to the development told ET.
The revenue secretary will forward the request to the home secretary for execution.
By adding a layer of scrutiny, the government aims to tighten oversight of phone interceptions to prevent indiscriminate violation of an individual’s right to privacy.
Under current rules, member (investigation) in the Central Board of Direct Taxes could approach the home secretary directly for authorisation of a phone intercept. “We have also made it clear that all recordings would have to be for a public emergency or public safety as defined by the Supreme Court,” said the official.
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