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The Supreme Court while hearing a PIL filed last month in the Supreme Court challenging the governments notification authorising 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any computer system, has issued notice to the Centre over the issue . The SC has now said that it will examine the issue and seeks the Centre’s reply in six weeks.
The petition filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma seeks quashing of the governments December 20 notification. According to the governments notification, 10 Central probe and snoop agencies are now empowered under the Information Technology Act for computer interception and analysis, Ministry of Home Affairs officials said.
The 10 agencies notified under the new order are the Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (for Income Tax Department), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, the Research and Analysis Wing, Directorate of Signal Intelligence (in service areas of J-K, North East and Assam) and Delhi Police commissioner.
