The government today told the Supreme Court that the issues raised by Tata chief Ratan Tata in his petition relating to the Nira Radia tapes require investigation.

Sources said that the affidavit filed by the government has maintained that "it is an issue that requires investigation".

The government is also understood to have taken a stand that the publication of Tata's conversation with Radia is an issue between the media and the petitioner.

The apex court had issued notices on December 2 to the Union Home Secretary, the Union Finance Ministry, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Income Tax Department on Tata's plea seeking probe into the leakage of audio tapes of his telephonic conversation with Radia.

The court had also issued notices to Outlook and Open magazines which had published parts of transcripts of the taped conversation.