The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre on a plea challenging the government’s notification authorising 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any computer system. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and justices Ashok Bhushan and S K Kaul yesterday sought the Centre’s response within six weeks and said it would hear arguments on the interim stay after the parties are served the notices. The court was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the government’s December 20 notification.

According to the government’s notification, 10 central probe and snoop agencies are now empowered under the Information Technology Act for computer interception and analysis.