The Government today told theSupreme Court that it has not been able to track the sourcefrom where the controversial tapped telephonic conversationbetween corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and others includingTata Group Chairman Ratan Tata was leaked.
The government placed its confidential inquiry report ina sealed envelope before a bench of justices G S Singhvi and SJ Mukhopadhaya.
The report said that it is difficult to track the sourcewhich leaked the tapes which was recorded by the Income Taxdepartment.
"In a nutshell, the report says it is difficult to findby which source it was leaked," the bench said after perusingthe report.
The bench further said, "Regarding the source whichleaked the tapes, they have been unable to find it."
The bench also said that governemnt has stated in thereport that as per the rules all the tapes which were in itspossession have now been destroyed after placing the originalcopy before the apex court.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who was appearing for the NGOCentre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) seekingdisclosure of the entire conversation in the tapes, termed thedevelopment as "very surprising".
The second report by the government on its probe into theleakage of the recorded conversation was filed during thehearing of the petition filed by Ratan Tata seeking inquiryinto the incident which he alleged was in violation of hisfundamental right to privacy.
The government had earlier filed a status report sayingthat the government agencies were not responsible for itsleakage and the Radia tapes broadcast by media organisationswere tampered with. It had said that there were eight to tenagencies, including service providers, involved in thetapping.
The conversations were recorded by the government as partof the surveillance ordered by the Directorate General ofIncome Tax (Investigation) following a complaint received bythe Finance Minister on November 16, 2007 alleging that Radiahad within a span of nine years built up a business empireworth Rs 300 crore.
The government had recorded 180 days of Radia'sconversations -- first from August 20, 2008 onwards for 60days and then from October 19 for another 60 days. Later onMay 11, 2009, her phone was again put on surveillance foranother 60 days following a fresh order given on May 8.