"We don't know whether it is true or not or whether he has given an interview at all," a bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly said during the hearing of the petition seeking monitoring of the investigation into the case by the apx court.
"Do we assume that CBI has already transcribed all the tapes" the bench said referring to the interviews of Pillai published in newpapers. "According to the report, it is reported that it is the tip of the iceberg and lot many things will come out," the Bench said.
The Bench said the senior government officer in the report says that "only juicy conversation made has come out. Other substance are still to come out". "Pillai has made statement or not?" the Bench said and added "it has become fashion also that a very senior officer gives interviews thinking it to be in public interest".
CBI, during the earlier hearing, had told the Bench that it has the taped conversations between corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and others of around 5,800 conversations. It had said it has prepared the transcripts of only 3,000 conversations.
When the Bench was making remarks, Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium said "somebody has to go into the veracity of these conversations". At this point, advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation which has submitted copies of the tapped conversations, said "nobody has doubted the veracity of the conversation".