A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Friday stayed a single judge’s directive to seize the telephonic conversation records, including voice records, of Salim Raj, suspended gunman of the Chief Minister, in a land grab case registered at Thrikkakara in Ernakulam district.
The single judge had directed the State Police Chief to take steps to seize the telephonic records, including voice records, of Salim Raj and others allegedly involved in the land deal.
The Bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice K. Vinod Chandran passed the stay order on an appeal filed by the State government, the Revenue Secretary, Director General of Police, and the Director, Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau.
Phone service provider
The Bench, while issuing the stay order, observed that the telephone service providers concerned had not been made respondents in the petition.
The single judge had issued the directive without knowing the procedures adopted by the providers for keeping voice records.