Neha v. Vibhor Garg
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499:3 + : C & The right to privacy- by itself- has not been identified under the Constitution. As a concept it may be too broad and moralistic to define it judicially. Whether right to privacy can be claimed or has been infringed in a given case would depend on the facts of the said case. But the right to hold a telephone conversation in the privacy of one's home or office without interference can certainly be claimed as "right to privacy". Conversations on the telephone are often of an intimate and confidential character. Telephone-conversation is a part of modern man's life. It is considered so important that more and more people are carrying mobile telephone instruments in their pockets. Telephone conversation is an important facet of a man's private life. Right to privacy would certainly include telephone-conversation in the privacy of one's home or office. Telephone-tapping would, thus, infract Article 21 of the Constitution of India unless it is permitted under the procedure established by law."
: Thus, recording of telephonic conversation of the wife without her knowledge, is a clear cut infringement of her privacy. Furthermore, it cannot be said or ascertained as to the circumstances in which the conversations were held or the manner in which response elicited by a person who was recording the conversations, because it is evident that these conversations would necessarily have been recorded surreptiously by one of the parties. A Coordinate Bench of this High Court in "%%/'
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'8'59 + : C% As an aside I would say that there are voice changing software available on the Net waiting to be downloaded to be applied in hiding or creating identities, creating true or false evidence, making room for impersonation, deceit and the like, which may be hard to crack without special detection by experts specially trained in this evolving field of investigation when experts are not easily found or available presently in courtrooms which remain severly handicapped and ill equipped with newfangled tools for use or misuse of modern science and technology and to easily apply to a case in hand the reprecussions of which may be far reaching and beyond one's ken.
It would be a rather dangerous trend to allow people to be fixed oe exposed on Audio CDs obtained by malfeasance, in its object of collecting evidence and the secretive means adopted to achieve a lawful or an unlawful end. The computer age is a dangerous age. The mobile phone or electronic gadgets should not be readily allowed to be used as an instrument of torture and oppression against a wife in a matrimonial action unless the court in satisfied that it might tilt the balance between justice and injustice in its cumulative judicial experience, wisdom and discretion in decision making. A married woman too has a valuable right to her privacy of speach with her husband in the confines of the bedroom.
put under the judicial scanner. Courts should be very circumspect in such matters before allowing such applications as presented in this case. The Courts cannot actively participate in approving mischief and invite invasion of privacy rights not called for in deciding a case where parties are free to adduce evidence aliunde which may or may not be sufficient to obtain a decree of dissolution of marriage. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread." - *+ + - ( * 0 ( * + ( + 0 ' % * + + @ 0 . + "%%/'
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+ : C16 The conversation between husband and wife in daily routine, in the considered opinion of this court, cannot be made basis or can be considered for deciding the petition under section 13 of the Hindu Marriage Act, inasmuch as quarrel on trivial matters between them in our Society is a routine matter. More so, recording of conversation between the husband and wife and production of a CD thereof, would not be sufficient to ascertain as to under what circumstances, the
9 conversation was recorded, what was the atmosphere and circumstances prevailing in the family at that moment, would be relevant to take into consideration the conversations recorded in the CD to extract the truth." /0 3>$ ?
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