Leakage of Tata-Radia tapped talks being probed, Govt tells Supreme Court

The government today told the Supreme Court that it was taking seriously the issue of leakage of conversation between Tata chief Ratan Tata and corporate lobbyist Nira Radia and that an inquiry has been ordered into it.

"The government views the disclosure of such information seriously and in this context, an inquiry has been ordered," an affidavit filed by the government said.

It also denied the allegation of Ratan Tata that it had adopted a lackadaisical attitude on a petition filed by him.

"I deny that the government has adopted a lackadaisical attitude or that it was standing by and allowing leaked material of this kind to be freely distributed and published," the two-page affidavit filed by Additional Director of Income Tax (Investigations) said.

The affidavit said that by an office memorandum issued on December 27, 2010, the Ministry of Finance appointed two senior officers to inquire into the leakage of "classified documents/telephonic intercepts".

"The terms of reference of the inquiry committee are detailed and comprehensive and reflect the concern of the Ministry of Finance to properly investigate the matter and to take a comprehensive view of the subject," it said.

The government said it is not correct on the part of Tata to allege that it is its perception that the leakage of such material and its consequential publication were not a matter of concern.

"It is not suggested by the government that it is under no duty to ensure that the wire tapped material is not leaked," the affidavit said.