NSE phone tapping case: Delhi HC grants bail to ex-Mumbai CP Sanjay Pandey

Mumbai: The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted bail to former Mumbai Commissioner of Police (CP) Sanjay Pandey in a money laundering case connected with the alleged illegal phone tapping case and snooping on National Stock Exchange (NSE) employees. Mr Pandey was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on July 19 this year, and was subsequently sent to judicial custody.

The money laundering case, which is being probed by the ED, arises from a CBI FIR against Mr Pandey and his company iSec Services Private Limited for the alleged commission of offences under the Indian Penal Code, the Indian Telegraph Act and the Prevention of Corruption Act. iSec was responsible for the cyber security audit of the NSE.

According to the CBI, iSec conspired with the other accused to illegally intercept MTNL lines at the NSE between 2009 and 2017 and recorded calls of various NSE officials. It has been alleged that the telephone monitoring was carried out without taking permission from a competent authority as required under the provisions of the Indian Telegraph Act, and also without the knowledge or consent of the employees.

It was also alleged that the transcripts of these calls were provided by the said private company and received by senior NSE officials. Approximately Rs4.45 crore was allegedly paid to the private company for this activity, the CBI had claimed.

In August, the trial court had rejected Pandey’s bail in the case and indicated active prima facie involvement in recording and monitoring the calls at NSE, and directly communicating with the bourse staff.

On July 14, the ED had arrested Chitra Ramkrishna, NSE’s former MD and CEO in the phone tapping case.

Mr Pandey, a 1986-batch Indian Police Service officer retired from service on June 30. Before his four-month stint as Mumbai’s CP beginning March 1, he served as acting Maharashtra Director General of Police.

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