Essar Leaks; Delhi HC adjourns Suren Uppal's Petition as Justice A.K Pathak recuses

A Division Bench of Delhi High Court has adjourned Advocate Suren Uppal's Petition seeking a court-monitored investigation into alleged illegal phone tapping of high-profile people including some union ministers allegedly by Essar.The matter came up before the bench comprising of Justices Siddharth Mridul and A K Pathak. Since Justice Pathak recused himself from hearing the matter, the Court adjourned the case to 27th June.Uppal had sought an urgent hearing claimimg that ,"Lots of incriminating data & evidence of the case are lying with the Petitioner and the inquiry and investigation in of the matter should be absolutely under the supervision of this Hon'ble Court from very inception of proceedings initiated in pursuance to Complaint dated 01.06.2016 filed before Prime Minster Office, New Delhi".In his Petition Uppal, it is averred that "the Public Interest litigation is being preferred under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, having regard to the fact that fundamental rights of the innumerable citizens of India i.e. Right to practise business and profession, right to Privacy as enshrined under Articles 19 (1)(A) & 21 of the Constitution of India, are adversely affected/Violated by Firstly, illegal and unlawful acts of tapping for an approximate period of 2001 to 2006, of some of the prominent citizens of our country, thereby resulting in the interception and recording of numerous other phone calls including that of the Ministers in the then Government, higher government officials and top Corporate houses for deriving undue advantages thereof, Secondly, commission of most glaring and shocking acts of corruption perpetrated in our times and Thirdly, the alleged unholy nexus between the functionaries in the Constitutional institutions of our nation with few of the top unscrupulous personalities in our country".It is also submitted that the power vested or conferred on a Telecom Company through a Telecom license in pursuance to the contract entered into between the Central Government and the Telecom Company cannot in any manner be misused to adversely affect and compromise the fundamental Rights as enshrined under the Constitution of India. According to the averments, the case raises serious concern that directly and indirectly affects the right to Freedom of Speech and Expression and Right to Privacy as articulated under Article 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India. The petitioner has questioned functioning of top corporate including its directors/functionaries acting in such manner, violatiing the fundamental rights and also to defeat the very essence of Competitive business pursuit by trying to take undue advantage by resorting to illegal interception, tapping and recording of the calls of the competitor companies, higher Govt. officials, machineries and Politicians. Petition says that, there is enough cause of action that is embedded in the recorded conversations, which is the direct consequence of illegal tapping interception and recording. Significantly the recorded conversations are much more incriminating and if found genuine, would exhibit the unscrupulous/evil nexus between Politicians, Higher Government Officials and India's Top Corporate Houses.It is alleged that the Company had given dozens of Cell-phones, Dictaphones, Samsung Voice Recorders, Voice cassettes, cassette recorders, connecting cords, tape-recording equipment, computers, CD Writing equipment and requisite money to meet the misc. expenses in the operations. After, enabling the operations with the requisite infrastructure, the Company gave the SIM Cards, each carrying 3 to 4 Activated numbers over the same, which were to be intercepted, tapped and recorded.According to him, those Conversations are of highest concern to our National Sovereignty, Safety and Security and Threatens the very foundation and Principles of Governance, Rule of Law and Administration of Justice. It is statd in the petition that the Conversations substantiate that few of the corporate houses have been the major perpetrators of Corruption and Frauds against Public in collusion and nexus with the Politicians and higher government officials of the country. The Conversations allegedly expose many major scandals that were aided by the strong political-corporate nexus that existed at that point of time, in favour of the Respondent Companies. These recorded conversations allegedly reveal, the magnitude of the corporate scams in India, their ethical implications and adverse impact on the Public at large.The Writ Petitioner filed a Complaint on 01.06.2016 before the Prime Minister of India with a view to initiate high level inquiry and investigation through credible investigating officers so that the petitioner could pass on the incriminating material evidence in their hands. It was mentioned in the Complaint filed to PMO that the evidence will be kept safely and that the CDs and conversation will not be given to anyone who may use the same for any anti-national...

Essar Leaks; Delhi HC adjourns Suren Uppal's Petition as Justice A.K Pathak recuses

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