[Nikam published this column on May 12, 2010 on his website. See the original here.]

For the last nearly a month, the name of Niira Radia has been in circulation. Two publications, Outlook and The Pioneer, raised the issue first almost simultaneously. While Outlook concentrated on the issue of phone tapping, The Pioneer referred to the larger issue of the connections between Radia and (then) telecom minister A Raja, and how the latter used the former to get back the telecom portfolio after the formation of UPA II last year.

In normal circumstances, a story like this should have had the entire media hounding the government and the players whose names had been mentioned in these stories. Just a few days before this, remember how Sunanda Pushkar and former union minister of state Shashi Tharoor were hounded?

But it was not to be. Except for a couple of publications, like Mail Today and Outlook, none of the print publications have followed up on what seems to be one of the biggest scandals in this country, for a very long time. What is more surprising is the way in which most of the news TV channels (except Headlines Today) which had made the Tharoor-Pushkar story a national event, have clamped down on this story.

Except for covering the parliament brou-ha-ha over the demand for the resignation of Raja, the majority of the media have remained quiet. Why?

It is not at all surprising, in fact. Niira Radia, as some of the publications have already published, is considered to be the most influential and powerful public relations person, with powerful clients who controls almost half of the stock exchange— Ratan Tata, Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Mittal.

She also has friends in the media, including some of the highest profiled media figures, apart from newspaper owners and editors. The fact that she dictates the media policy of the three of the richest corporates means none of the media houses can afford to take cudgels against her.

She also has been known to have direct access to some powerful politicians in both the ruling and opposition parties. Her entry into the Indian scene, way back in the late 90s using her proximity to BJP general secretary and then union minister Ananth Kumar, is well documented.

No wonder, except for some piece-meal exposes here and there, the entire confidential papers of the CBI, Income Tax department, among others floating around in the hands of the media persons, have remained out of print.

A study of these papers indicates the vast network of Niira Radia, and how she has been able to deliver some of the controversial business projects, to the above mentioned big-wigs of industry and corporate world. The most controversial being the 2G spectrum, with her deep connections with (then) telecom minister Raja and his patron-in-chief, DMK supremo, M Karunanidhi's family.

The CBI filed a case in October 2009 in relation to what it calls, UAS Licenses granted in the year 2007-08. The communication between CBI and income tax authorities clearly makes out how Niira Radia was put under surveillance and what emerged from the tapping of her phones.

The reason for the media to have played shy of this scandal also comes out in these papers. Some of the most important and powerful media houses and personalities, seem to be caught in the Radia web. The names of two of the biggest media stars, Vir Sanghvi and Barkha Dutt are also mentioned in these conversations, about their effort to assist Radia, to ensure Raja becomes the telecom minister. There is also a mention of how Radia has been "managing the media".

There are also issues relating to "cross-border" transfer of funds, both legally and illegally.

What, however, takes the cake is the way in which Radia, according to the report based on her tapped conversations, lobbied for the return of Raja as telecom minister. And how all efforts were made to scuttle any chances of Dayanidhi Maran getting the telecom portfolio, as he was considered a bug bear by both Tata and Ambani.

But almost all of it have remained undisclosed and government has also refused to come out with any significant details about the case filed by the CBI, and where the case stands today.

It was therefore felt that it was important to put all these documents in public domain, for people to make their own judgement. It is necessary that the claims and charges made in these documents are investigated and the full truth comes out.

So we have decided to publish these documents on this site, without any ill-will or bias or with ulterior motives, except in the hope that it would result in public pressure on authorities to come out with the truth.

Read the documents here.

Nikam, a veteran journalist, runs an independent website, India's Report.