SC to hear plea seeking probe into China's alleged surveillance on President, PM, judges

The plea sought directions to ban Chinese-operated digital money-lending apps in India and to take action against the Non-Banking Financial Companies and digital money-lending apps acting contrary to the fair practice code. It further sought that there should be a direction to the Union of India to enact the Draft Bill "The Protection of Personal Data, 2019".

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has listed for January next year a hearing on a plea, seeking directions to the central government to investigate China's alleged surveillance on the President of India, Prime Minister, judges (sitting and retired) of the apex court and High Courts and other influential personalities.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde, on Thursday stated in its order, "List the matter after the ensuing Chritmas/New Year Holidays, 2020."

Save Them India Foundation, an NGO, has filed the public interest litigation (PIL), seeking directions to register an FIR for cyber terrorism and cybercrime under several relevant sections of the Information and Technology Act, 2000, and the Indian Penal Code.

The plea sought directions to ban Chinese-operated digital money-lending apps in India and to take action against the Non-Banking Financial Companies and digital money-lending apps acting contrary to the fair practice code.

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It further sought that there should be a direction to the Union of India to enact the Draft Bill "The Protection of Personal Data, 2019".

The plea said that China, not only through one mode but also by other modes like money-lending apps, extracted data of Indian citizens. This could have a disastrous effect in the future and is a threat and danger to our national security and integrity, it added.

It alleged that the privacy of citizens, the secrecy of judges, the President of India, the Prime Minister, and other thousands of authorities has become a game for China.

"China's espionage system and spying upon India has developed a new threat and fear of losing our secret valuable information, public policies, defence policies, data hijacking and theft," the plea said.

(ANI)