Phone tapping: Amar Singh sends notice to NDTV

Samajwadi Party General Secretary Amar Singh on Thursday sent a legal notice to New Delhi Television asking the channel from telecasting his tapped phone conversations.

He claimed that the CD, which is making the rounds in the media circles, could be concocted, fictitious, forged and doctored.

In an interview with the NDTV's managing editor Barkha Dutt, Singh denied all the allegations leveled against him and denied trying to influence the judicial system or having taken a cut from Anil Ambani in any particular deal. He has also sent similar notices to other television channels who have the tape.

• Phone tapping: Clean chit for the government

"If this is a sting operation, then the person who has done it should come forward and accept responsibility. Who released the tape? Is it the Delhi police? This is an illegal and unauthorised tape and our legal experts are discussing the issue and we will take suitable action," he said.

He said since his petition is pending before the Supreme Court, it will be proper if Chief Justice Y K Sabbarwal hears and decides what to do with it.

"My petition raises pertinent questions about the privacy of an Indian citizen. I have not heard the tape but I believe the voices are broken. It could be tampered," he said.

He denied that he had ever talked to Mulayam Singh Yadav about a particular judge and a certain case.

"I do not remember the conversation. Who am I to transfer a judge? Even Mulayam Singh Yadav cannot do anything about it. It is a judicial matter and we do not interfere in such matters," he said.

• Column: Who tapped Amar Singh's phone?

Singh, however, said he did remember the conversation with Anil Ambani, but said he could not recall if the business tycoon had said, 'Amar Singh ki Aarti Utarni Padegi (Amar Singh will have to be given a commission).

"He could have been joking," Singh said.

He claimed that his conversation with a film actress-turned-politician was personal.

He accused the Delhi police of arresting the wrong people in order to protect the real culprits.

"I am not scared of the contents. But I cannot say anything till I hear the tape myself and if any channel offers me a copy I would take it," he said.