Ratan Tata on Monday filed a petition in SC on the Nira Radia tapes containing intercepts of his conversation with her because they violated his privacy. In the petition, Tata has asked the Centre to probe the leak of the tapes and take action accordingly.
India's highest law officer, GE Vahanvati, said he would not be able to shed any light on the government's response as he had not had the opportunity to consult the state. His boss, law minister Veerappa Moily, said he would not be able to comment.
Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said CBI had no objection to its investigation into the so-called 2G scam being monitored by the Supreme Court, but also declined to comment on Tata's concerns on the breach of his privacy.
Prashant Bhushan, a well-known lawyer who has filed a public interest litigation seeking the prosecution of former telecom minister A Raja, said he would robustly contest any injunction sought by the 72-year-old industrialist. "We are seriously considering filing an application in the SC to ensure there is no injunction against these tapes and these recordings are put out in the public domain."
"These are not private conversations. These are conversations between a lobbyist and her clients... bureaucrats, journalists and ministers. These show glimpses of all kinds of fixing and deal-making and show how the whole ruling establishment functions. There is enormous public interest in putting these tapes out. It is absurd for Mr Tata to say that this is invasion of privacy," Mr Bhushan said.
The tapes, which are widely available, feature conversations between Tata and Radia in which the head of India's largest conglomerate appears to express his discomfiture at the prospect of Dayanidhi Maran, a politician from Tamil Nadu's DMK Party, becoming minister.
The phone conversations of Radia were originally tapped by the government as part of an investigation into tax evasion.
Tata Group's Tata Teleservices, along with other telecom companies, are being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate, which investigates violation of foreign exchange laws.