Ratan Tata, India's best known industrialist, filed a complaint in the Supreme Court Monday after transcripts of his private telephone calls were reproduced in the local press. Tata, who heads the sprawling Tata business empire, has been embarrassed by the leaks, which detail conversations he had with a media advisor about competitors, politics and the controversial sale of telecom licences in 2008.
The media advisor, Nira Radia, had her phone tapped as part of an investigation into the tainted licence sale which is estimated to have cost the country up to 40 billion dollars. Lawyers for Tata appealed to the Supreme Court to issue an order to prevent the release of any further phone conversations. "It is very embarrassing for my client that these details are leaked. We are seeking to protect my client's privacy," lawyer Harish Salve told reporters at the Supreme Court.
"The publication of intercepts of the conversation has violated his right to privacy," he added. In a recent interview with NDTV, a private news channel, Tata said he did not want to stand in the way of the investigation into the telecom scandal, which saw telecoms minister A. Raja resign earlier this month. Raja sold 2G licences for a fraction of their value in 2008, allegedly to companies that he favoured. He denies any wrongdoing.