KOCHI: The state government’s worst nightmare has come true. The Central Monitoring System (CMS) is all set to go live in Kerala curtailing the state’s secrecy on whose telephonic conversations and emails they are snooping and whose call detail records (CDRs) are being analysed.
Once the CMS server becomes operational in Kochi, the Kerala Police will no longer be able to directly approach a telecom service provider seeking interception of numbers and CDRs. All such requests will have to be made to the CMS which will provide the necessary details as and when required.
A high-level meeting was held in Kochi on Friday to discuss the modalities that need to be followed by the Kerala Police to coordinate with the CMS for state-level law enforcement agencies in interception and monitoring of telephones, mobiles and emails.
Senior intelligence officers fear the Centre will be able to know what the state agencies are monitoring. However, state police chief Loknath Behera begged to differ.“All states have to comply with the Indian Telegraph Act,” he said. “We should not see CMS in a negative perspective. Once it comes into force, the law enforcement agencies need not take authorisation from the nodal officer of telecom service providers (TSPs). Moreover, it will prevent the leakage of information,” he said.
The Cabinet Committee on Security had in 2011 approved the setting up of CMS to strengthen the security environment in the country. CMS is already live in Delhi and Mumbai. As regional CMS centres are being set up, all states will have to comply with the unified process for telephone interceptions and CDR requests.
The Central Monitoring System (CMS) enables direct electronic provisioning of target numbers without any manual intervention from TSPs. Currently, the agencies are required to approach the telecom operators for intercepting calls or messages of suspected anti-national and anti-social elements.
Other than state police wings, central agencies such as the National Investigation Agency, Intelligence Bureau, CBI, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and Research and Analysis Wing will make use of the CMS.
Earlier, the chief nodal officer of a telecom company intercepted a number based on an order issued by the secretary to the state government in charge of the Home Department. Such orders could also be issued by an officer authorised by the Home Secretary. In special cases, state DGPs were authorised to request for interception.
7 years ago the Cabinet Committee on Security had approved the setting up of CMS to strengthen the security environment in the country
States where CMS is already in force
Delhi, Maharashtra, Telangana
In Kerala, the server will be in Kochi
Who’ll make use of it
Other than state police wings, central agencies such as the NIA, IB, CBI, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and RAW will make use of the CMS