Vigilance Director Jacob Thomas complains of phone tapping, email hacking

Thiruvananthapuram: Vigilance director Jacob Thomas has complained that his phones were being tapped and emails hacked.

In his complaint to DGP Loknath Behera, the officer is believed to have alleged that the tapping began since he offered to quit as vigilance director recently.

His request for relieving him from the post of director is pending before Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The officer has demanded a detailed probe and close surveillance by Cyber Cell. However, DGP Loknath Behra has said that he was not aware of getting any such complaint.

This is perhaps the first time in the state that a vigilance director has complained directly about tapping of phones and emails. His complaint comes at a time when a series of cases against high profile politicians and officials are being probed by the vigilance.

The officer has reportedly pointed out that phone tapping amounted to breaching the personal space and freedom of high ranking officers and a high-level inquiry should be carried out to find out the truth. It is alleged that the target was to tap the conversation and mails being exchanged with officials.

Though only the chief secretary and home secretary are empowered to permit tapping phones or examining of emails, that too only in connection with investigations into cases, there are allegations officers of the rank of IG were also tapping calls.

It may be recalled that during the solar case, an IG level officer had illegally tapped call details and later destroyed the records.