Will order CBI probe: Supreme Court on taped conversations of Radia

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on July 31 said that the Niira Radia tape transcripts raised many more "uncomfortable questions" and hinted at more probes into all aspects of criminality raised in the tapes. The tapes record as many as 5,800 conversations between Radia, a corporate lobbyist, and several top decision makers of the country.

The top court had earlier directed a joint team of officials to transcribe them before it took a call on whether to make them public or not.

Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, had moved the top court to stop publication of any more tapes that would impinge on his privacy, whereas NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) is arguing to make all conversations, which are not in the nature of private conversations, public. "The CBI has drawn several tentative inferences... highlighted many things in its meticulous transcripts. Many things are uncomfortable...," Justice GS Singhvi said after perusing the transcripts submitted by the CBI to the court in a sealed cover earlier in July. He was dealing with the issue along with Justice V Gopala Gowda.

Justice Singhvi also sought to know from the Union government why it had so far failed to act on the revelations made in the tape. "Why did the concerned authorities not act on these tapes except in the 2G matter? It is accidental that the court ordered the transcripts of the tape. What if the court hadn't been there?" Justice Singhvi asked CBI counsel Additional Solicitor General Paras Kuhad.