Preserve AP Ministers phone call data, court orders telcos

Vijayawada, July 18: The Vijayawada Chief Metropolitan Court has directed the telecom service providers to preserve (store) phone call data of 25 mobile numbers. The mobile numbers belong to Andhra Pradesh Ministers and elected representatives. The Court passed this order while hearing a petition filed by SIT constituted to investigate phone-tapping cases filed by AP Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao and several others. The SIT filed a petition in the court on July 7, seeking the call data of 25 mobile numbers, which were allegedly tapped by Telangana government. The court directed BSNL, Airtel, Idea and Reliance to submit the phone call data in a sealed cover on July 17. But the telcos lawyers contended that they have not received the court orders and sought extra time to provide the phone call data. Advocate General Venugopal Rao argued that denying phone call data would amount to contempt of court. The Court ordered telcos to preserve call data of the numbers for a period of 180 days prior to June 8, the date on which AP Minister Devinenei filed complaint. The telcos lawyers reportedly said that Centre and Telangana government warned them against sharing phone call data with AP.