Special team gets 3 more months to study Radia transcripts

Three months time to start from Oct 17, 10 more income tax inspectors to be included in the probe team

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted three more months to the court-appointed special team of investigators to complete the scrutiny of transcripts of the intercepted conversations of former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia with corporates, politicians and others to probe the criminality involved in them.

A bench comprising justices G S Singhvi and V Gopal Gowda said the three months time would start from October 17 when it would finalise the composition of the team as 10 more income tax inspectors would be included in it to carry out the task. The bench, which was provided with the names of five officials, asked the income tax department to provide it with the names of the other inspectors in a sealed envelope by Wednesday so that it could pass the formal order on October 17.

It also made it clear to the probe agencies that there would be no change in the team till the report is submitted and the entire probe would be court-monitored. The bench said earlier CBI had placed before it the report in which it had segregated the issues involving criminality for which the probe was being conducted by it and some of them have to be referred to the state police, the Securities and Exchange Board of India and the Central Vigilance Commission. The court was told till now only 25 per cent of the transcription has been scrutinised. During the last few hearings, the bench had said scrutiny of the tapped conversations of Radia with influential people has revealed that they were not restricted to 2G spectrum alone and throw light on different spheres.

The apex court had said the scrutiny of call details of Radia with politicians, corporates and others reflect the issues concerning national security. The bench would also hear on October 22 the petition filed by former Tata Chief Ratan Tata seeking action against those allegedly responsible for the leakage of tape and his plea for right to privacy.