Thaindian News

New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) The Supreme Court has been told that the government was doing its utmost to track the source that leaked in public domain the telephone intercepts of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.In an affidavit filed Monday, the government rejected the allegation that it was lackadaisical in its effort to unearth the source that leaked the tapes.

“The government views the disclosure of such information seriously” and it has ordered probe by two senior officers to track the source that leaked the telephonic intercepts, said Additional Director of Income Tax (Investigation) Sushil Kumar in his affidavit.

“It is not correct on the part of the petitioner (Ratan Tata) to allege that it is the perception of the government that leakage of such material and its consequential publication is not a matter of concern,” the affidavit said.

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

The matter relates to a petition by the Tata group chairman Ratan Tata seeking to restrain the media from publishing the transcripts of the Radia tapes.

Tata contended that the publication of these tapes could adversely impact Tata group’s business interest and in turn would hurt the common investors.

Radia’s telephones were put under surveillance by the Income Tax department after a complaint was received by the government that Radia was in touch with foreign agencies and had amassed huge wealth in a span of few years.

Tata’s petition on Radia tapes will come up for hearing in the apex court Wednesday.