SC takes serious note of leakage of report on Radia tapes

The Supreme Court today took serious note of the leakage of the report of the apex court- appointed probe team which had analysed the transcripts of tapped conversations of former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia with corporates, politicians and others.
The court said it will take up the issue of the contents appearing becoming public when the matter will be heard.
"We will take up this matter to begin with," a bench comprising justices G S Singhvi and V Gopala Gowda said and expressed anguish that despite being made clear that the contents of the report have to be kept secret they have come out in the media.

The bench said, "everyday we are putting the seal". Otherwise it would cast doubt on the staff also. "If this is happening, better we take up the seal from it (report)," it further said.
"If the newspapers get hold of this report they will certainly publish it. We all know the reasons," it observed.
Though the matter had not reached the board for hearing and when the bench was about to rise for the day, senior advocate Harish Salve drew the attention of the judges to the leakage of the report.
"Something serious has happened. When the report is in a sealed cover it has been published on Saturday," he said adding that "the officers who have leaked this information are accountable to the court as this is something which the court was seized with".

The senior advocate said CVC should be asked to find out how the report has been leaked. He also said the petition filed by Ratan Tata on the Radia tape was for protecting the fundamental right to privacy.