CBDT gets nod for tapping phones of tax evaders

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee has finally had his way at North Block over allowing phone tapping by the Central Board of Direct Taxes to healp unearth tax evaders, despite objections from the home ministry and the cabinet secretariat.

Following the Niira Radia phone taps by the income tax department, the cabinet had suggested the tax department be removed from the list of agencies authorised to tap phones, as according to them, tax evasion does not impact public emergency or safety.

However, the permission comes with certain riders for all agencies including the tax department.

According to the standard operating procedures, soft copies of transcripts would need to be deleted permanently from the system and DVDs and CDs should be ground into the finest powder and in the event of a hard disc getting corrupted, it should not be taken to vendors for repairs under any circumstances.

However, no agency has so far come forward to admit to having tapped phones illegally.

The intelligence agencies had been told by the union home ministry that passive tapping was illegal and they should return the machines to the Department of Telecom (DoT).