The Supreme Court Monday restrained the electronic and the print media from broadcasting and publishing the contents of illegally tapped conversation of anyone, including that of Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh.

• Phone tapping: Clean chit for govt

"Having regard to the fact and circumstances of the case, we direct the electronic and print media would not publish/display the unauthorised/illegal telephone tapping of any person till the matter is further heard and guidelines issued by this court," a Bench headed by Chief Justice Y K Sabharawal said.

The Bench also issued notices to telecom service provider MTNL [Get Quote], BSNL, VSNL [Get Quote], Reliance [Get Quote] Infocomm, Idea Cellular [Get Quote], Tata Indicomm, Bharti Televentures Limited and Hutichson Essar Limited.

The court deleted the name of Congress party (through its president) as a party in the matter.

The court also directed the Centre and Delhi government to furnish the details of the numbers of telephone tapped and the numbers of telephones for which authorisation could not be issued in stipulated time for being tapped and asked them to file a detailed affidavit in this regard within two weeks.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on March 20.