SC gives 3-month to complete scrutiny of Radia's transcripts

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today granted more three 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 three months time will start from October 17 when it will finalise the composition of the team as 10 more income tax inspectors would be included in it to carry out the task. [caption id=“attachment_1160371” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Nira Radia: SC gave 3 months to give Radia’s complete transcripts. Reuters. [/caption] 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 tomorrow so that it could pass the formal order on October 17. It also made it clear to the probe agencies that there will 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 place 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, Security Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the Central Vigilance Commission. The court was told that 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, which perused the confidential reports of the committee, 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. The apex court on August 29 had conducted two-hour-long in-camera proceedings in the case for knowing the Centre’s stand and perusing “top secret” documents which formed the basis for interception of her calls. The apex court had decided on in-camera hearing after it found that many controversial and sensitive information and names of people figure in various reports disclosure of which in public domain could harm national interest and could tarnish the image of people till they were established. The conversations were recorded as part of surveillance of Radia’s phone on a complaint to the Finance Minister on November 16, 2007 alleging that within a span of nine years she had built up a business empire worth Rs 300 crore. The government had recorded 180 days of Radia’s conversations–first from August 20, 2008 onwards for 60 days and then from October 19 for another 60 days. Later, on May 11, 2009, her phone was again put on surveillance for another 60 days following a fresh order given on May 8. The apex court had ordered setting up of a team of investigators to examine the contents of the conversations. The court had perused the report and transcripts prepared by the special team of investigators and said that “some of the items highlighted will become the subject matter of investigation”. PTI