As revealed by an RTI reply, 7,500-9,000 phones and 300-500 emails were intercepted every month in 2013, reported ANI. This was when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power.
According to the reply by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to an RTI dated August 2013, "on an average, between 7,500-9,000 orders for interception of telephones are issued by the Central Government per month." It went on to say that, "on an average, 300 to 500 orders for interceptions of emails are issued by the Central Government per month.”
The reply also listed out the agencies authorised for lawful interception monitoring, reported ANI. These agencies are:
- Intelligence Bureau (IB)
- Narcotics Control Bureau
- Directorate of Enforcement
- Central Board of Direct Taxes
- Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
- Central Bureau of Investigation
- National Investigation Agency (NIA)
- Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW)
- Commissioner of Police, Delhi
- Directorate of Signal Intelligence (for service areas of Jammu and Kashmir, North-East and Assam)
The MHA, in the RTI reply, also stated that the interception being carried out was in accordance with the Telegraph Act of 1885 and Telegraph (Amendment) Rule of 2007.
(With inputs from ANI.)
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