Last week, Prabhu Chawla, the India Today Group’s editor for language publishing, put out a statement on a conversation of his with corporate lobbyist Niira Radia.

In the meantime, we listened to the tape in question ourselves and so can you.

We also noted an instance, highlighted in the transcript below, where the transcript provided by Mr. Chawla differed from what some news outlets had carried. That occurs shortly after where Mr. Chawla’s transcript has him saying he sent Reliance Industries’ Chairman Mukesh Ambani a message 15 to 20 days earlier.

In a sentence that follows soon after, Outlook and Tehelkahave both interpreted the sentence that begins “Before the judgment was coming…” as ending with the words “I wanted to forewarn him.”

Mr. Chawla’s transcript instead has the sentence ending: “I wanted to probe on him.”

The judgment being referred to was a Mumbai High Court decision on June 15, 2009, on the Ambani brothers’ gas dispute that eventually went to the Supreme Court. The link to the tape gives the date of the recording as June 20, 2009.

We went back to Mr. Chawla on this point, and he said there was no question about him trying to forewarn Mr. Ambani about anything. He also said he was trying to reach Mr. Ambani to seek his participation in an India Today conclave.

“I’m the only journalist who has put the audio on his own blog and has not disabled the comments,” he added.

He also said, referring to both Ambani brothers: “There’s nothing which I’m promising them, there’s nothing I’m trying to advise them.”

Editors at the two magazines could not be reached immediately for comment.

In response to a query about this conversation, a spokesman for Ms. Radia referred us to a previous statement from the Vaishnavi Group, in which the firm said it was “fully transparent” and the media was spreading misinformation about the firm and Ms. Radia.

Spokesmen for Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani did not respond to email requests for comment on Monday.

Now judge for yourself.

Here is the statement Mr. Chawla sent out with the transcript:

“Much has been made about a conversation that Nira Radia had with me. This is just to put the record straight. The 13 minute conversation had nothing to do with the controversial 2G of A Raja. Nira called me as she said ‘to seek my expertise’ on the Battle for Gas’ between the two Ambani brothers. I merely told her that the earlier the brothers put an end to their private battle, the better it will be for the public good. I did not take sides. I did say that I knew both brothers but was equally critical of the tactics being adopted by each to run down the other. Nira also asked me about my son, who is a lawyer and is retained by the Anil Ambani group as their counsel. I however made it clear that my son Ankur was not appearing in the particular Gas case. Following is the transcript of the 13 minute conversation. It is proof, if indeed proof were needed, that I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of.”

And here is the transcript provided by Mr. Chawla (the only alterations India Real Time has made to the transcript as it was e-mailed to us are adding italicized clarifications and translations for Hindi phrases in parentheses, and bold-facing the disputed sentence):

NR Hi Prabhu
PC Ya tell me now
NR Nai nothing, I was just wanting to understand things from you. You always have a very good perspective.
PC On What?
NR On everything Bhai he he he he. Generally you have a good perspective of everything. I just wanted to know what is yr view on this great historic judgment.
PC. Which one, the Bombay one?
NR The Bombay one which takes the family pecked (pact) above the national interest.
PC You see when the brothers are involved, the nation also gets involved na?
NR Ya, probably not a good thing na. not good for the nation.
PC Not good for the nation, but the brothers don’t talk to each other. There is nobody who can force them to talk also
NR Who tho ho gayi na Prabhu tum bhi janthe ho (That’s happened no, Prabhu, you also know.)
PC Maine koshiosh kiyi thi., Nahi hua. Maine kaha ho jayega. (I had tried. It didn’t happen. I said it will happen.)
NR Nahi. I was speaking to him recently, in fact this morning
PC (interrupts) is he back from wherever he had gone, Mukesh?

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/11/30/the-niira-radia-tapes-india-todays-prabhu-chawla/

Original statement of Prabhu Chawla, link:

http://ramanisblog.in/2010/12/20/prabhu-chawlas-clarification-on-radia-tapes/