Purulia arms drop case: CIC dismisses RTI plea

[ganpat1956]

New Delhi, July 30 (PTI): The Central Information Commission has dismissed an application seeking information on complicity of government officers in the Purulia Arms Drop case after taking into consideration CBI's plea that such disclosure could impede the prosecution process.

"This Commission can not aspire to substituting its own judgement for the judgement of the authorised prosecuting agency, which in this case is the CBI," Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah said in a recent order.

The Commission was hearing a Right to Information application of Jammu-resident B R Manhas who had sought from CBI information on various counts on the Purulia Arms Drop case including details on the public servants who have been prosecuted or chargesheeted in the case.

Contesting Manhas's application before the Commission, Joint Director of CBI argued that the case, which was still pending, had "international ramifications with direct bearing on security" and hence disclosure of such information were exempted under the provisions of the RTI Act.

Apprehensions were also cast against any such disclosure on the ground that many of the concerned officials, against whom information had been asked for, were key witnesses -- disclosure of whose identities was not required under the law.

An application was earlier moved by Manhas with the CBI on July four this year seeking information on the agency's inquiry into the Arms Drop case to ascertain complicity of officers of various departments including the customs, immigration, Airports Authority of India, Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Indian Air Force.

The Hindu News Update Service