SC to go through transcripts of Radia tapes

Will examine transcripts to decide whether it has to be evaluated by an independent team

Transcripts of 5,800 tapped telephone conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia with politicians, corporate honchos including former Tata Chief Ratan Tata were today placed by the government before the Supreme Court which said it will go through them before deciding the course of action.

Excerpts from the tapes earlier leaked in the media had sparked a political storm with the conversations bringing out the nature of corporate lobbying and also its purported impact on politics.

The court took on record the transcripts of entire tapped conversations which have been put in 38 sealed envelops in addition to the 10 already placed before it earlier.

"We will go through the envelopes [containing the transcripts] to decide what course of action can be taken," a Bench of justices GS Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhaya said.

The bench said it will go through the transcripts to decide whether it has to be evaluated by an independent team.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Tata Group ex-Chairman Ratan Tata who had moved the apex court on November 29, 2010 for action against those involved in the leakage of the tapes containing his conversation with Radia.

He said the leakage amounted to infringement of his fundamental right to life, which includes right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), also sought a court direction that all conversations should be made public except those which are purely personal in nature. It said the conversations which show illegality or criminality should be thoroughly investigated.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Tata, opposed the plea that the tape should be examined by an independent person or team.