Radia tapes: SC seeks Centres reply

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Central government to furnish its reply on a request seeking complete disclosure of corporate lobbyist Niira Radias tapped telephonic conversations with politicians,journalists and business tycoons.

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The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Central government to furnish its reply on a request seeking complete disclosure of corporate lobbyist Niira Radias tapped telephonic conversations with politicians,journalists and business tycoons.

The direction came on a PIL by Centre for Public Interest Litigation,which wanted the government to make public the contents of entire 5,800 taped conversations as it might reveal corruption in various government departments.

Taking up the PIL,a bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and S S Nijjar issued notice to the Centre and posted the matter for further hearing on February 2.

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A complaint to the Finance Minister about Radias meteoric rise in nine years to head a business empire worth Rs 300 crores had triggered the surveillance of her phone,the Income-Tax Department had informed the apex court earlier this month.

Making a point that bringing the Radia tapes in public domain would be in public interest,the petitioner organisation pleaded that disclosure of such conversations might expose the vicious cycle of corruption involving its various stakeholders,including politicians and bureaucrats.