Hearing to be in-camera: SC
The Supreme Court on Tuesday decided to hold in-camera proceedings in the case concerning the recorded telephonic conversations of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia with influential persons, including politicians, journalists and corporate executives.
A bench comprising justices G.S. Singhvi and V. Gopala Gowda agreed to the plea of senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for industrialist Ratan Tata, who urged that it was important that the proceedings be held behind closed doors to ensure that any confidential information concerning “national security” is not leaked.
Salve told the court that the Centre’s counsel L. Nageshwar Rao has certain constraints in making the submission because of the “extremely serious nature of the matter”.
“He (Rao) has some constraints in making submission in the open court as there are issues of national security. It will go to the media. I request you for holding in-camera hearing as it is an extremely serious matter,” Salve said.
“It is becoming more and more intriguing,” the bench remarked while going through the entire records placed by the Union home ministry regarding the recording of the conversations of Radia with corporates, politicians, journalists and others. “On Thursday morning, we will hear you alone and you also ensure that all these will not come out in open,” it said.
Salve was appearing for former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata whose petition against the leakage of the conversations was being heard by the court.
The bench said it will also hear the ASG who has been appearing for CBI in the matter as it would like to put some basic questions to the head of the probe team appointed by the apex court which submitted a report pointing out “criminality” in some conversations leaked to the media. Salve said things have become “more mysterious” as when there were no transcription of the tapped conversations, how there were selective leakages in April and May 2010.
Post new comment