2G scam: Hot tapes expose mediamen as power players

The 2G spectrum scam is taking its toll outside the political arena.

The Open magazine has prised open a can of worms by putting the audio recordings and transcripts of conversations between corporate lobbyist Nira Radia of Vaishnavi Communications and her friends in the media on its website.

Radia was known for her proximity to the former telecom minister A. Raja. The tantalising transcripts feature Hindustan Times editorial director Vir Sanghvi and NDTV group editor Barkha Dutt.

They are heard promising to do political fixing for Radia, her corporate clients and political friends.

The recordings were done when Radia's phone lines were kept under surveillance by the I- T department for a few months in 2008 and 2009 and the excerpted portions here were recorded between May 11 and July 11, 2009. The Centre for Public Interest Litigation had submitted the recordings to the Supreme Court. Open magazine says though it is in "no position to endorse the contents of the recordings", it is nevertheless placing them on record. The contents no doubt would embarrass Indian media's glitterati.

In response to the story, NDTV strongly objected to the 'misrepresentation of conversations' between Barkha Dutt and Nira Radia.

(see www.openthemagazine.com for detailed conversation)

Courtesy: Mail Today