In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court in response to Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh's [Images] petition, it said as a long term measure it has decided to examine provisions of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 in view of the changes in the technology and increasing role of a large body of service providers including those in the private sector and carry out the necessary amendments.

Singh's petition is to come up for hearing tomorrow before a Bench headed by Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal which had earlier issued notices to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Delhi [Images] government and Delhi Police on Singh's plea for judicial inquiry into the entire episode of phone tapping.

He has also sought court's intervention in restraining the TV channels from airing CDs of Singh's purported conversation with some politicians, industrialists and film actresses.

The Samajwadi Party General Secretary alleged that telephones of rival politicians were being tapped illegally in connivance with private telecom operators.

The affidavit sworn by Home Ministry Deputy Secretary J P S Verma was, however, silent on the allegations levelled by Singh in his petition.

Who tapped Amar Singh's phone?

Instead the affidavit made a general statement that the government was fully aware of the sensitivity and the fact that the privacy of communication was of paramount importance and messages were to be intercepted on the considerations of national security and other related purposes in accordance with the law and rules.

However, Delhi Police categorically denied that there was any indiscriminate tapping of phone by the government machinery in connivance with the private operators.

Denying the allegation that Singh's phones were tapped on the orders issued by Joint Commissioner of Police Ranjit Narayan, Delhi Police said in its affidavit filed in the court that the orders on the basis of which interception had been carried out were "forged and fabricated."

Amar Singh appears before police

"As per the expert opinion, the signatures of the Principal Secretary Home and Deputy Secretary Home, Government of NCT of Delhi and Joint Commissioner of Police Crime, Delhi Police are forged," the affidavit sworn by DCP Headquarters Alok Kumar said.

Police have already chargesheeted four persons in connection with the tapping of Amar Singh's phone.

The affidavit filed on behalf of Delhi Government Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Home) also denied issuance of receipt of any orders for interception of phones of political personalities.

On the tapping of Amar Singh's phones, it said the letter used for tapping his phone was a forged and fabricated document.

Terming it as a violation of citizens' right to privacy, the Samajwadi Party General Secretary has sought framing of new guidelines for intercepting the calls to prevent abuse of such provisions for achieving the political ends.