Govt places in SC complaint leading to tapping of Radia's cell

Government today placed before the Supreme Court a copy of the complaint on basis of which it started tapping corporate lobbyist Niira Radia's telephonic conversations with a host of people including politicians, corporate leaders and media personalities.

The copy of the complaint in sealed cover was placed before a bench comprising justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly by the Attorney General G E Vahanvati.

The bench said it will go through the complaint during the next hearing on February 24.

The complaint was produced by the government in compliance with the December 13 order passed on a petition filed by Tata group chief Ratan Tata seeking stoppage of further publication of the leaked conversation between him and Radia.

In an affidavit, the government had told the apex court that it had begun tapping Radia's telephone on a complaint alleging that she was indulging in anti-national activities and was acting as spy of foreign intelligence agencies.

The complaint had alleged that she had built a business empire of Rs. 300 crore in a short span of nine years, the affidavit had said.

The government had given the details as to how 180 days of Radia's conversations were recorded from August 20, 2008 onwards for 60 days and the same was further extended from October 19 for a period of 60 days.  Later on May 8, 2009, a fresh order for putting on surveillance her phone for 60 days was given from May 11.

Tata, in his petition, has argued that making public his conversation with Radia violated his right to speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.