No RTI exemption to CBI in graft, rights cases: High Court

New Delhi, February 3

The CBI is not completely exempt from the purview of the RTI Act and the transparency law permits it to provide information pertaining to corruption and human rights violation, the Delhi High Court has held.

Perusing Section 24 (Act not to apply to certain organisations) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Delhi High Court said that it showed that even though the name of the organisation (CBI) found mention in the Second Schedule to the law, it did not mean that the entire Act was not applicable to such organisations.

“The proviso to Section 24 permits information pertaining to allegations of corruption and human rights violation to be made available to the applicant and the same cannot be included in the exception provided to organisations mentioned in the Second Schedule of the RTI Act,” Justice Subramonium Prasad in an order passed on January 30 and made available late Friday evening. The HC passed the order on a plea by the CBI challenging a November 2019 decision of the Central Information Commission (CIC) directing the probe agency to provide certain information to Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Sanjeev Chaturvedi.

Chaturvedi had sought information about alleged corruption in purchase of disinfectant and fogging solution for the medical store of Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

He was the chief vigilance officer of AIIMS when he had sent a report regarding alleged corruption in the purchases being made for the trauma centre. Besides, he had sought a certified copy of the file noting or documents or correspondences related to the investigation done by the CBI in the matter. — PTI

Agency challenged CIC decision

• The high court passed the order on a plea by the CBI challenging a November 2019 decision of the Central Information Commission directing the probe agency to provide certain information to Indian Forest Service officer Sanjeev Chaturvedi
• Chaturvedi had sought information about alleged corruption in purchase of disinfectant and fogging solution for the medical store of Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre, AIIMS

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#Central Bureau of Investigation CBI #human rights