JUDGMENT

The 13^th respondent was a ‘Member of the Legislative Assembly’ (MLA) representing Nilambur State Legislative Constituency in the Kerala State Legislative Assembly. According to the petitioner, the 13^th respondent conducted a press meet on 01.09.2024 and he has disclosed to the media and the public that for the last eight months, he has been tapping telephone conversations of various persons, by spending significant amount of money for the same, to gather information about the gold smuggling, and other criminal offences done with the aid of high police ofÏcials. It is also the case of the petitioner that the 13^th respondent also claimed in the press conference that he had tapped telephone conversations of highly placed persons, including police ofÏcials and several others, illegally, with an intention to save the people of Kerala and to act against the anti-social activities being done by them challenging the sovereignty of India. In the press conference, the 13^th respondent admitted the illegal phone tapping of various persons, including police ofÏcials, politicians and others, done by him, is the further submission. In the press conference, the 13^th respondent had disclose