The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Centre on a petition seeking disclosure of all the Radia tapes. The matter will be heard again on February 2.
The petitioner, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), wanted the Court to direct the Government to go public with all the 5,800 conversations of the corporate lobbyist, Ms Niira Radia, tapped by the Government agencies.
CPIL also wanted the Court to frame guidelines that protect and encourage whistle-blowers who make public disclosures that effectuate the citizens' right to know about matters of public interest.
“In the instant case the various Radia conversations, including those with Mr Ratan Tata, expose the corruption of virtually all important institutions of the Indian Government as well as the media. Thus, in keeping with settled laws and the Right to Information Act, the conversations are required to be made available to the public citizenry,” the petitioner said.
Acting on a complaint to the Finance Ministry that Ms Radia was allegedly indulging in anti-national activities, the Government had taped Ms Radia's telephonic conversations with many people including the industrialist Mr Ratan Tata, other corporates as well as politicians, bureaucrats and journalists.
Mr Tata had earlier moved the apex court claiming that his right to privacy was violated because of the leakage of the the tapes and sought a probe into it.