An eye on criminals, terrorists
PANKAJ SARMA
New gadgets
Guwahati, Jan 31 : Close on the heels of the phone-tapping controversy that shook the nation, the police machinery in the state is gearing up to intercept phones and text messages with the aid of state-of-the-art technology.
Only in this case, the police will be using a “lawful interception and monitoring system” to monitor only phones used by persons indulging in illegal or subversive activities. The aim is to protect people and prevent untoward incidents, a highly placed police source said.
The source added the sophisticated system, which would be a first for the state police, would be used for monitoring and interception of telecommunications only with required authorisation from Union or state governments in accordance with the provisions of the law.
“The Assam police headquarters has floated tenders inviting bids from qualified parties and the bids will be opened on February 2. The system will be procured with funds provided by the Centre under the police modernisation scheme,” the source said.
He said the system would be able to monitor and intercept telecommunications in GSM (global system for mobile communication), CDMA (code division multiple access) and PSTN (public switched telephone network) networks.
“We are going for a system which can simultaneously monitor 30 conversations at a time and can store data up to 30,000 hours. Moreover, the system should also show text messages in multiple languages and should have advanced features like speaker identification, 3G feature for monitoring video calls and faxes, among others,” he added. The interception activity of the system must be such that it does not interfere with the operation of the telecommunication networks or make the target aware that he is being monitored. It would also be used to locate the target on the basis of cell tower information.
Phone tapping can be a key tool in intelligence gathering, which is an important part of police functioning, particularly in the wake of threats of terrorism and other hi-tech crimes, he said, adding, “As criminals and terrorists are adept at employing technology, the police will also have to do so to counter them.”
The source said the system would be used for intercepting conversations only in the interests of national sovereignty and integrity, state security, public order or preventing incitement for an offence and adequate safeguards would be in place to ensure that it is not misused and no individual’s right to privacy is violated.
He said the Union or state governments are empowered to order interception of telecommunications under Section 5 of the Indian Telegraph Act, but only in “public emergency, or in the interest of public safety” and Rule 419 and 419A sets out the procedure of interception and monitoring. “According to law, the state home secretary is empowered to order interception,” he added.
The supplier of the system will also have to provide training to persons designated by Assam police on various technical and operational aspects of the system.
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