NEW DELHI, 3 June  — The stage is set for Justice K. Venkatswami Commission, which is probing the Tehelka expose, to commence its first hearing on June 6.

During the first hearing the commission would work out the modalities and methodologies to be adopted for conducting the probe, and the examination of witnesses would commence thereafter.

The commission has issued summons to 29 persons, including two former presidents of the political parties — Bangaru Laxman of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Jaya Jatley of Samata Party and many army generals, asking them to file affidavits and statements explaining in what context their names appeared in the Tehelka tapes.

According to the commission’s spokesman, P. Ananda Rao, while some had filed their responses to the summons, others had sought some time. Those who had filed affidavits stated that they would also come out with more informations during the deposition and the statements.

Rao said while the Defense Ministry had supplied relevant documents to the commission, the news portal had supplied an edited version of the tapes, running to four hours, and an unedited version, running to about 100 hours.

An affidavit had been filed on behalf of the Defense Ministry too. The ministry would be represented by the Additional Solicitor-General, Kirit Rawal. The tehelka.com chief Tarun Tejpal had filed affidavits and statements explaining the circumstances leading to the expose, Rao said.

Several serving and retired generals, to whom summons and notices had been sent, had filed affidavits and statements. Justice Venkatswami had already witnessed the edited version of the tapes and was now studying the transcripts of the unedited ones.