Privacy Protection In Re: Ranjit Sinha’s Investigation

Though I am writing it prematurely, I have a reason for doing it. This is because, as per media reports, Ranjit Sinha has raised a plea of infringement of his privacy. The facts are that a visitor entry register recording the entry of visitors to the CBI director’s home has been produced in the SC in a sealed envelope. Under normal circumstances, a home is an individual’s castle, and no records pertaining to the same can be either created or made public without permission. However, over here there are two exceptions: first, the CBI director is a public servant and, as per his own admission through his counsel, has been discharging his public duties wrt investigation of cases including the 2G cases inter alia from his office located at his residence, and, secondly, the records have been produced before a court of law in a sealed envelope, which has obviously been directed to be so done to protect the privacy of the people concerned. However, I am surprised how all the SC records, even when in sealed envelopes, come over to the media, which is flooded with incompetent journalists who have gained celebrity status merely because of their closeness to the politicians, the police and the corporates, but have no concsience to protect people’s privacy. But, at the same time, being an advocate, I am scared to wonder whether can my residence/office be bugged just because I am obliged to accept briefs from anybody who comes to me. Well, the answer is an obvious NO because the communications between the client and an advocate are protected from public disclosure by law. But, I can’t think of any law which protects the disclosure of investigation and ancillary reports to the public; so, in all probability, the records produced in the court are not private vis-a-vis the CBI director but may be private vis-a-vis the people meeting him depending upon the facts of the case — if the people meeting him were meeting him as “just friends”, their privacy will be protected.

About the Author

Ankur Mutreja
Ankur Mutreja is an advocate-cum-writer, and his blogs are amongst his modes of expression. He has also authored number of books, which can be downloaded from the links on the top menu.

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