The Supreme Court said Thursday it will hear "as and when required" a PIL challenging the government's notification authorising 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any computer system.


The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul. The petition was filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma against whom the apex court had earlier in another case imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 for filing a PIL against Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over an issue related to the Reserve Bank of India's capital reserve.


When the advocate sought an urgent hearing of his PIL against the notification on interception of computers by probe agencies, the bench asked him whether he had complied with the apex court's December 7 order of depositing Rs 50,000. When Sharma said he has deposited the amount, the bench told him, "We will see. As and when required we will list the matter."


However, the lawyer made a brief submission claiming that there have been large-scale illegal surveillance of computers, including that of the members of the judiciary and their family, and other prominent personalities.


According to the government's December 20 notification, 10 central probe and snoop agencies are now empowered under the Information Technology Act for computer interception and analysis, Ministry of Home Affairs officials had said.  -- PTI