CBI denies intercepting Ajit Doval's phone

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that it has not intercepted phone of the National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and former CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana at any point of time.

The CBI remark came in a reply to a plea seeking direction to form an SIT to look into charges of abuse of power by some officials of the probe agency by illegally tapping phone calls.

The court was hearing a plea filed by lawyer and social activist Sarthak Chaturvedi, who also sought a direction to the Central government to frame comprehensive guidelines regarding tracing, tapping and surveillance of phone calls.

The CBI said no telephone number was under surveillance illegally and that the Centre has already framed rules and comprehensive guidelines in the form of Indian telegraph rules on phone tapping.

The CBI also told the court that technical surveillance by the agency has been carried out in a "proper manner" and the competent authority from which authorisation is obtained is being apprised regularly about the outcome of the technical surveillance.

The technical surveillance is undertaken by the agencies authorised by the central government with due approval of the competent authority.

It requested the court to dismissed the plea filed by the social activist.