Ratan Tata moves Supreme Court against leakage of Nira Radia tapes
The Tata Group chief has moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the media not to publish or telecast their contents.
Unhappy with the unauthorised use of the ‘leaked’ audio tapes of his conversation with the allegedly controversial corporate lobbyist, Nira Radia, Tata Group chief Ratan Tata has moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the media not to publish or telecast their contents.
The writ petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution also seeks an inquiry into the leak of the tapes which are not even remotely connected with the purpose for which the investigating agencies had conducted the tapping. It also seeks action against the officers found guilty of ‘leaking’ the tapes to the media, thus putting the private conversations in public domain.
Tata’s petition may be brought to the attention of chief justice of India SH Kapadia on Tuesday for an early hearing. “There is urgency. Stay is necessary, otherwise the media would continue to use them in the 2G scam reportage,” a lawyer said. Tata’s petition says the leakage of tapes has defied his right to privacy, a constitutional guarantee. It said the Tata Group of companies never subverted any policy through Radia, who was the group’s public relations consultant from Vaishnavi Communications firm.
Two magazines have published the transcripts and put the audio tapes on their websites. In a TV interview, Tata has said it is the government’s responsibility to protect privacy.
Besides the Union home secretary, the petition has named the CBI, the income tax department, the department of telecommunication and information and technology as respondents. Former solicitor general Harish Salve will appear for Tata.
Though it is widely believed that the Tata petition has similarities with the one filed by the expelled Samajwadi Party MP Amar Singh, a lawyer involved in the litigation said while “Singh’s phone tapping was unauthorised, Tata’s isn’t”. Thus, the two can’t be tagged with each other. The apex court has already stayed telecast or publication of Singh’s phone tapes which had been recorded by an “individual party”, the lawyer added.