No criminality found in intercepted conversations of Niira Radia: CBI to SC

The Central Bureau of Investigation CBI Wednesday told the Supreme Court that no criminality has been found following an investigation into the intercepted conversations of the corporate lobbyist Niira Radia with some politicians businessmen media persons and othersTaking note of the submissions of the probe agency the top court directed it to file a status report on the matterAdditional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati appearing for the CBI also told a threejudge bench headed by Justice D Y Chandrachud that petition filed by industrialist Ratan Tata seeking protection of the right to privacy in view of the emergence of the Radia tapes may be disposed of in the light of the right to privacy judgement of the apex courtI must inform you that the CBI was directed by your lordship to investigate all these conversations Fourteen preliminary inquiries were registered and the report was placed before your lordships in a sealed cover No criminality was found in those Also now there are phonetapping guidelines in place Bhati saidThe law officer said nothing remains in the matter after the privacy judgementThe bench also comprising Justices Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha said it will hear the matter after the Dussehra vacation as there is a Constitution Bench next weekMeanwhile the CBI may file an updated status report said the bench and posted the matter for the next hearing on October 12At the outset the counsel appearing for Tata sought an adjournmentAlso Read SC seeks Centres response to pleas on criminalisation of marital rapeThe counsel for the petitioner informed the apex court that there is another petition filed by NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation CPIL which had sought that these transcripts be made public in the larger public interestAdvocate Prashant Bhushan appearing for the CPIL said Radia was a corporate lobbyist for two of the most important companies and there were attempts to influence public persons etc which was revealedThe apex court in 2013 directed a CBI inquiry into six issues arising out of the analysis of corporate lobbyist Niira Radias taped conversationsRadias conversations reveal deeprooted malice by private enterprises in connivance with government officials for extraneous purposes the top court had saidThe top court was hearing Tatas petition seeking action against those involved in the leakage of the tapes alleging the leakage amounts to infringement of his fundamental right to life which includes the right to privacy under Article 21 of the ConstitutionHe had contended that as a corporate lobbyist Radias phone was tapped for probing alleged tax evasion and the tapes cannot be used for any other purposeThe conversations were recorded as part of surveillance of Radias phone on a complaint to the Finance Minister on November 16 2007 alleging that within nine years she had built up a business empire worth Rs 300 croreThe government had recorded 180 days of Radias conversationsfirst from August 20 2008 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 orderThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever