Delhi High Court stays CIC’s order to IB on Sanjiv Chaturvedi

The Delhi high court on Wednesday stayed an order of the Chief Information Commission directing the Intelligence Bureau to make public its report on alleged harassment of whistle-blower officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva stayed the operation of the CIC’s April 21 order till the next date of hearing on August 9 on the Intelligence Bureau plea challenging the decision.

The court said the issues of harassment and corruption raised in the matter required consideration and asked the Indian Forest Service officer to reply to the intelligence agency’s plea.

Additional solicitor-general Sanjay Jain, appearing for Intelligence Bureau, submitted that the agency was exempt from providing information under the Right to Information Act even if it was sought by Chaturvedi in his own case.

While Section 24 of the RTI Act exempts intelligence and security organisations from the purview of the transparency law, a proviso (exception) to the section states that this exemption is not extended to material held by or under the control of such organisations, which pertained to allegations of human rights violations or corruption.