Tata’s plea for privacy

Ratan Tata has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court (SC) to prevent the misuse of wire tapping "on a matter of principle. He believes privacy is an important right of every individual and is keenly following the progress of this case” mentions a press release issued on behalf of Tata Sons, reported The Economic Times (ET) on August 22, 2013.

Ratan Tata: plea for privacy

The Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons made a personal appearance at the SC on August 21 accompanied by lawyer Ryan Karanjawala. His petition was prompted by the controversy relating to telephonic conversations between Niira Radia, a political lobbyist and an acquaintance of the (then) telecom minister A. Raja, and with senior journalists, politicians, and corporate houses, taped by the Indian Income Tax Department in 2008-09. The tapes led to accusations of misconduct by many of these people. Radia used to run a public relations firm whose clients include Tata Teleservices Limited. Tata sat quietly through the hearing and left at lunch time with his lawyer Harsh Salve whom he complimented on his arguments, ET notes.
Tata’s plea is that he is not against wire tapping per se, but we need to put in place a mechanism to prevent unnecessary intrusions into the privacy of citizens. He moved the court to ensure that wire tapping by government agencies is kept at a minimum and such tapes should be periodically audited. Leaking of private conversations is unacceptable and recordings which are strictly within the private domain should be destroyed, ET reports Tata’s contentions.
"There must be timely and comprehensive investigation in case of a leak,” Salve argued before the SC. Should there be a need to investigate the state could do wire taps, but there is a real danger of these being misused by governments, political parties and corporate rivals, hence the need for a proper mechanism to serve as a deterrent. Salve also said that "the media does not have a right to publish” any material arising from wire tapping which could compromise a citizen’s right to privacy, notes ET.