Outlook India : SC Wants CBI to Scrutinise Transcripts of Radia Tapes
New Delhi | Feb 08, 2013

No purpose will be served by slamming the income tax deptt for tappng the phones of the corporate lobbyist.This has,in fact, turned out to be a blessing in disguise.The public now knows how government decisions are influenced by the corporate bigwigs. This practice has been followed by successive governments for decades.Since the taped conversations have been in public domain,there is nothing private to be ignored. The scrutiny report of the income tax authorities aught to be submitted to the Apex court. It would be reasonable to assume that the rest must have already been scrutinized by the CBI. Why can’t the Hon’ble Supreme court be informed accordingly about the criminal conspiracy that involves politicians, businessmen and journos.

A K SAXENA (A retired civil servant)
www.aksaxena.co.in
blog.aksaxena.co.in
 

 The very fact that there is such a Himalayan mountain of transcripts shows that the IT authorities have grossly misused the power of tapping telephones, which powers they acquired relatively recently. And there can be no doubt that the leak also took place from the same source (probably with the blessings of the powers that be/were). It illustrates how dangerous it is to entrust irresponsible and untrained personnel with such sensitive powers which are to be used sparingly and for specific purposes(national security) in a democracy where the right to privacy of the individual is sacrosanct.

In developed countries such powers can be exercised only through  court orders, after fully satisfying the judge of its critical need (that can't be done in India for obvious reasons). In fact the monitoring officers are even strictly instructed to switch off the recording system when something not relevant to the stated objective of tapping is being discussed by the targets. 

One wishes that the Supreme Court had concentrated on this higher misdemeanour of the Income Tax Department.

 The very fact that there is such a Himalayan mountain of transcripts shows that the IT authorities have grossly misused the power of tapping telephones, which powers they acquired relatively recently. And there can be no doubt that the leak also took place from the same source (probably with the blessings of the powers that be/were). It illustrates how dangerous it is to entrust irresponsible and untrained personnel with such sensitive powers which are to be used sparingly and for specific purposes(national security) in a democracy where the right to privacy of the individual is sacrosanct.

In developed countries such powers can be exercised only through  court orders, after fully satisfying the judge of its critical need (that can't be done in India for obvious reasons). In fact the monitoring officers are even strictly instructed to switch off the recording system when something not relevant to the stated objective of tapping is being discussed by the targets. 

One wishes that the Supreme Court had concentrated on this higher misdemeanour of the Income Tax Department.

 "Utmost secrecy must be maintained while it is being scrutinised," Salve said

Secrecy? The Radia tapes have been in the public domain for a very long time, Mr. Salve.