Judge recuses himself from Ratan Tata’s plea

Supreme Court judge Justice GS Singhvi Wednesday recused himself from hearing the Niira Radia telephone intercepts leakage case, taking exception to the remarks of senior counsel Rajiv Dhawan.

Supreme Court judge Justice GS Singhvi Wednesday recused himself from hearing the Niira Radia telephone intercepts leakage case, taking exception to the remarks of senior counsel Rajiv Dhawan.

The court was hearing a petition by industrialist Ratan Tata that his constitutional right to privacy was violated with the leak of his private conversations with Radia.

“We will not hear this matter at all in view of the submission made by senior counsel Rajiv Dhawan. Matter should be heard by another bench,” said Justice Singhvi, taking a serious view of some of the words used by Dhawan while insisting that the court hear his submission.

Dhawan, who represents a news magazine that carried extracts of the former corporate lobbyist’s telephone intercepts in October 2010, got into an argument with Justice Singhvi after the latter adjourned the hearing of Tata’s petition, saying it would take up the case only after the Centre and CBI file their response to NGO CPIL’s fresh application. The NGO wants a CBI probe into Serious Fraud Investigation Office’s (SFIO) report recommending criminal inquiry into the sale of News X channel, Eenadu TV and alleged irregularities in Radia’s company. Dhawan protested the adjournment of the hearing of the case till Dec 2, 2013, describing it as arbitrary and unfortunate.