For the Supreme Court,the Niira Radia tapes reveals a pollution simply termed as mind-boggling. We have been talking about the pollution of sacred rivers like the Ganges. This kind of pollution is not there. This pollution is quite mind-boggling,we do not live in a world of illusions anymore. The real world is in some villages and forests. Let us not talk about that, a Bench of Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly said. The two-judge Bench has been hearing the 2G spectrum case hearing for almost a month,and was hearing arguments about how one of the published conversations of Radia was about managing a former Delhi High Court judge for Rs 9 crore. Advocate Prashant Bhushan read out the published transcript of the taped conversation in which it is conveyed that a high court judge scheduled to pronounce a judgment next month and has already received Rs 9 crore. The Delhi High Court judge later went on to become the chief justice of a high court, Bhushan submitted. It was then that Justice Ganguly asked Bhushan about Radias calling in life: What is her profession? To which Bhushan answered that Radia called herself a consultant. But the extent of her brief is not made out,Bhushan said. Not an ostensible profession, Justice Ganguly remarked. The bench pointed out to Bhushan that to her (Radia) she is a consultant,to you she is a wheeler-dealer. But why do you use the term profession? Profession means something honourable, Justice Ganguly remarked. Bhushan pointed out that the Supreme Court should immediately pass an interim order calling for copies of the transcripts to be placed before it in a sealed cover,so that they do not get lost like the papers in the Adarsh scam. The court later recorded Bhushans submission in its order and asked the Income Tax Department to address the court tomorrow on the issue of the preservation of records in the case. But Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium protested to Bhushan reading out the published transcript in open court: This is very provocative. But there are great dangers when we have a lawyer read it in court as if it is part of some evidence. We do not have any of these people here. You are on propriety? Justice Ganguly asked. The parliament and judiciary are our sacred institutions, SG said.
