Attacking suspended IAS officer Pradeep Sharma for raking up the alleged snooping controversy, the Gujarat government has told the Supreme Court that no one's right to privacy was violated and the concerned lady was even thankful for action taken by state agencies.
In an affidavit before the apex court, the state government submitted that Sharma was himself facing various criminal cases and also involved in "illicit relationships" with several married women who are his subordinate officers and relatives.
The affidavit, filed by an under secretary, referred to the proceedings before State Women Commission in which the lady was present along with her father and husband. The Chief Secretary was also present there.
"I am instructed by the Chief Secretary, state of Gujarat, who remained present during the proceedings referred above to mention that the lady had full knowledge of the steps taken by the state agencies at the request of her father and the lady has remained thankful for the timely help rendered which, even according to her, was absolutely essential and required under the circumstances.
"The lady is seriously perturbed, distressed and disturbed because of the false, scandalous, defamatory and maligning campaign using her name to achieve some hidden sinister agenda ostensibly to protect her 'right to privacy' an individual right, which she sincerely considers not to have been breached," the affidavit said.
The controversy broke out when two news portals released CDs of purported telephonic conversations between Modi aide Amit Shah, who was then state Home Minister, and two top state police officials relating to snooping on a woman in 2009.
The conversations, purportedly between August and September 2009, do not specifically mention Modi by name but refers to a 'saheb', which the portals claimed was the Gujarat Chief Minister at whose instance the snooping was done, a charge denied by Shah.
The state government filed its response on a petition filed by Sharma seeking CBI probe in snoopgate controversy.
