Ratan Tata's lawyer calls for action against leakage of court proceedings

also, assailed section of media for publishing contents of the CBI report

Former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata today watched his lawyer Harish Salve arguing in the Supreme Court his petition seeking action against those who had leaked the tapes of his conversations with corporate lobbyist Niira Radia.

 

Salve assailed a section of the media for publishing the details of the contents of the CBI report. “There should be some sanctity and dignity to the court proceedings,” counsel told a bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi. What a particular Delhi newspaper did was “complete affront” to the sanctity of the proceedings, he said and asked the court to take action against the newspaper, without naming it. 

 

 

The additional solicitor general had given an undertaking to the court that he would take responsibility for the confidentiality of the report, but even after ten days of the leak, the government has not taken any action to find out the source of the leak, Salve said. 

 

Counsel clarified that the petition by Tata is not for himself, but the issue raised is far more important. The questions raised by Prashant Bhushan, counsel for the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, are also relevant, like the ownership pattern of the media and corporate wars reflected in news coverage. There should be some audit of the interest of the public and the right to privacy, he said.

 

Bhushan, on the other hand, wants the report to be published in public interest. He also wants action against those who were involved in the criminal conspiracy revealed in the tapes. 

 

Justice Singhvi remarked that the leak of the confidential report has put “everyone in the shadows”. Whoever handled the files have become suspect.  He added that the rule of law should be maintained and those who are guilty should pay the price. 

 

Salve submitted that though the Telegraph Act permitted snooping, it was circumscribed by several conditions. Therefore, the government should have maintained strict control over the surveillance ordered by the then finance minister P chidambaram. 

 

The conversations of Tata and Ms Radia were part of the transcripts carried by magazines and websites in 2010. They  run into 5,800 pages, and covered 180 days spanning over 2008 and 2009.