SC tells govt to look into plea to make all Radia tapes public

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to respond to a public interest litigation seeking disclosure of the contents of the 5,800 taped conversations between Niira Radia and others.

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to respond to a public interest litigation seeking disclosure of the contents of the 5,800 taped conversations between Niira Radia and others.

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A bench headed by Justice GS Singhvi issued a notice to the government after advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioner, Centre for Public Interest and Litigation (CPIL), contended that the disclosure was in public interest. The bench fixed February 2 as the next date of hearing.

Radia’s telephonic conversations were tapped following a complaint received by the finance ministry alleging the corporate lobbyist was indulging in anti-national activities.

CPIL’s petition is seen as a counter-petition to the one filed by business tycoon, Ratan Tata who has sought an inquiry into the alleged leaks of the taped conversation between Radia and himself.

The SC has already issued a notice to the Centre and the two magazines that had published the detailed conversation between Radia and Tata. While seeking a release of all the taped conversations, CPIL has also asked the court to frame guidelines to protect “whistle-blowers”, who make public disclosures to “effectuate the citizens’s right to know”.

“This petition aims to direct the luminosity of public gaze into the dark and hidden alleys of corruption, a malaise that has become deep-rooted and widely pervasive and seriously ails our country,” it said.

(With PTI inputs)