New Delhi, May 08: The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to pass a stay order on an application filed by high- profile corporate lobbyist Nira Radia against Headlines Today . Radia, who owns Vaishnavi Communications, had sought a permanent stay on the airing of the tapes of conversations between her and telecom minister A. Raja over the latter’s prospects of a cabinet berth.
The tapes, that were recorded before the UPA- II cabinet was finalised, seem to indicate that Radia successfully lobbied for Raja’s inclusion as telecom minister and used her contacts in high places to facilitate this.
In her application, Radia alleged that the tapes aired by Headlines Today were fabricated and that the conversations between her and Raja never took place.
She said if at all her phone was tapped, it was done in a completely illegal manner.
Radia also said the tapes were broadcast in gross breach of her constitutional right to privacy.
However, the lobbyist’s phone was put under surveillance by the income- tax department with the approval of the Union government.
After hearing the arguments of Radia’s lawyer, the high court observed that the people had the right to know the truth and that the truth can be a defence in such cases.
It also noted that the recordings were done by a government agency against whom no challenge had been filed so far.
The court will hear the channel’s reply on May 17.
Headlines Today has been given a week’s time to respond to the defamation suit filed against the channel.
The Raja tapes also caused an uproar in Parliament, with the AIADMK members seeking a reply from the Prime Minister on the issue.
—Agencies