SC to govt: Who called Radia a spy?

Supreme Court on Monday directed the government to file a copy of the complaint that led to phone taps on lobbyist Niira Radia even as newsmagazines Outlook and Open opposed Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata’s petition to stop further publication of the transcripts. HT reports. Leaking tap

Supreme Court on Monday directed the government to file a copy of the complaint that led to phone taps on lobbyist Niira Radia even as newsmagazines Outlook and Open opposed Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata’s petition to stop further publication of the transcripts of his conversations with Radia.

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“The A-G may produce a copy of the complaint in a sealed cover,” SC said. The next hearing is on February 2, 2011.

The government in an affidavit in response to Tata’s petition, said the taps were ordered following a complaint to the finance ministry in November 2007 that Radia was of foreign intelligence agent, indulging in anti-national activities. The magazines published transcripts of the phone taps, which included conversations between Tata and Radia. The magazines challenged Tata’s petition, saying the tapped conversations dealt with matters of public interest.

“The image of a person should not be tarnished,” the bench observed.