DK Shivakumar takes sides with HDK, rejects phone-tapping charges
Bengaluru, Aug 16: Even as the clamour grows for a probe into the alleged phone-tapping scandal during the previous Congress-JD(S) government headed by H D Kumaraswamy, senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar on Friday rejected the snooping charges, and appeared to side with the former Chief Minister.
Amid signs that the scandal is gaining political steam, Shivakumar, who was Minister in the Kumaraswamy government, said Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa was free to order any probe into the matter.
Several Congress leaders, including its legislature party leader Siddaramaiah, M Mallikarjuna Kharge and Home Minister in the alliance government M B Patil have demanded a probe into the scandal.
Other than Shivakumar no other senior Congress leader has so far rejected the allegation.
Disqualified JDS MLA A H Vishwanath, who alleged earlier this week that phones of several political leaders, officials and journalists were tapped, indicated in Mysuru on Thursday that snooping would not have happened without the knowledge of the then Chief Minister.
Many BJP leaders, including former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, have accused Kumaraswamy in the phone-tapping scandal and demanded the probe.
"Phone-tapping has not happened... I have also inquired and asked people about it...it is all lies, and there is no room for such things," Shivakumar said.
"Our Congress-JD(S) government did not get involved in such things. Yediyurappa can conduct a probe, let him probe. We are not opposed to it," he told reporters here.
Kumaraswamy on his part has denied allegations of phone-tapping during his tenure.
"I was the one who kept repeating that the Chief Minister's position was not permanent. There was no need for me to remain in and save the chair (of CM) by tapping phones.
Allegations made against me by some people in this matter is far from truth," he had tweeted.
Siddaramaiah on Thursday demanded a probe stating that "Phone tapping is a serious offence. Let there be an investigation into the issue and take action against those responsible, if proved."
Despite growing demand for probe into the scandal from within BJP, and also Congress, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has not made his stand clear.
As the matter snowballed into a major controversy, he had on Wednesday said, "I am observing the developments. I will discuss with the Chief Secretary (T M Vijay Bhaskar) and think about further action."
The snooping controversy surfaced as Bengaluru police commissioner Bhaskar Rao earlier this month ordered an inquiry into the phone-tapping incident against the backdrop of a recently leaked telephone conversation purportedly between him and someone in Delhi lobbying on his behalf with some politicians for the post he is occupying now.
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SC directs states, UTs to furnish updated details on prisons, including overcrowding
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has directed all the states and Union territories to furnish updated details relating to jails, including the sanctioned capacity of each prison and steps taken to check overcrowding, by May 18.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta also asked the states and UTs to provide details about the number of women’s prisons within their jurisdictions and the facilities available in them, including the measures taken to ensure education and overall welfare of children living with the female inmates.
The bench noted that senior advocate Gaurav Agrawal, who is assisting the top court as an amicus curiae in a suo motu matter concerning inhuman conditions in jails, has drawn its attention to the fact that the statistics placed on record by the states and UTs pertain to 2023.
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The bench said that, having regard to the nature of issues involved and the necessity of an informed adjudicatory exercise, the availability of updated contemporaneous data was indispensable for the effective consideration of the proceedings.
“Accordingly, we deem it appropriate to direct all the states and Union territories to place on record updated and comprehensive statistics relating to all prisons situated within their respective jurisdictions,” the bench said in its order passed on March 17.
It said the data shall include jail-wise capacity of each prison, total number of prisoners, percentage of overcrowding in each jail, steps proposed to address overcrowding, details of women’s jails, facilities provided to women prisoners and children accompanying them (including educational and medical facilities), sanctioned strength of prison staff, existing vacancies, steps taken to fill them, along with all ancillary aspects relating to prison administration.
The bench directed the states and UTs to furnish complete particulars indicating the sanctioned capacity of each prison and the total number of prisoners lodged as on March 1, 2026, along with jail-wise details reflecting the extent of occupancy.
The apex court said the states and UTs would file comprehensive affidavits, duly sworn by the home secretary, providing the requisite details by May 18.
It said the top court registry would forward copies of the affidavits received from the states and UTs to the amicus, who would prepare a comprehensive note detailing the statistics and information provided by them.
It posted the matter for hearing on May 26.
