'Why so afraid?': SC junks plea seeking to retrain ED from accessing I-PAC functionary's seized phone

The Supreme Court dismissed a plea seeking to restrain ED from accessing an I-PAC functionary's device.

• Supreme Court allows ED to access I-PAC functionary's seized mobile phone data
• Privacy plea by Jitendra Mehta dismissed, forensic examination cleared
• Mehta to appear before ED on Friday as part of ongoing investigation

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The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to restrain the Enforcement Directorate from accessing data on the mobile phone of an I-PAC functionary seized during a January search, rejecting his privacy plea and clearing the way for further forensic examination as part of the agency's ongoing investigation.

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a privacy-related plea and cleared the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to access digital information from the mobile phone of a key functionary of political consultancy Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) that was seized during a raid earlier on January 8 at its Kolkata office.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant refused to restrain the ED from examining the contents of the phone belonging to Jitendra Mehta, who has been summoned to appear before the agency at its headquarters on Friday.

The device was confiscated during searches on January 8 at I-PAC's Delhi office as part of the probe into alleged money-laundering and linked irregularities.

Mehta had moved the apex court against the ED's move to extract data from his seized phone, arguing that such access would violate his right to privacy. His petition sought an interim order preventing the agency from conducting forensic extraction or reviewing the phone’s contents.

Senior advocates representing Mehta argued before the bench that unrestricted access to the phone's data would infringe fundamental privacy rights.

However, the Supreme Court questioned the basis of the privacy fears and said it was fully capable of protecting individual rights where warranted.

"Why are you so afraid?.... We know how to protect an innocent citizen," the top court bench was quoted as saying by Times Of India while rejecting the privacy plea filed by the I-PAC functionary.

The Supreme Court's order now authorises the ED to proceed with accessing and analysing digital data from the device, a significant development in the agency's ongoing investigation into I-PAC and associated entities.

Mehta's appearance before the ED is scheduled for Friday, according to court directives.