SC defers hearing of PILs against MHA order that allows Central agencies to decrypt data saved on any computer

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred hearing on Public Interest Litigations (PILs) seeking quashing of 20 December order of the Home Ministry allowing 10 central agencies to monitor and decrypt information stored on any computer for national security.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said that it would hear the case on a later date.

On December 20 last year, the MHA issued a directive authorising select security and intelligence agencies for the purposes of “interception, monitoring, and decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource.”

In an affidavit filed before the apex court in March, the Centre has defended its notification, saying the decision does not infringe upon the Right to Privacy and was done in state interest.

The affidavit also stated that there are enough safeguards under the Information Technology Act and rules to ward off unwarranted invasion into the privacy of people.

The agencies empowered by the government in accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000, include the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Cabinet Secretariat (RAW) and the Commissioner of Police, Delhi.