Disclose information related to corruption cases: CIC to CBI

Holding that information related to allegations of corruption has to be provided even by organisations exempted under the RTI Act, the CIC has directed CBI to provide all information pertaining to corruption cases.

Holding that information related to allegations of corruption has to be provided even by organisations exempted under the RTI Act, the CIC has directed CBI to provide all information pertaining to corruption cases.

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Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra directed the agency to consider on case-to-case each request seeking information about allegations of corruption and see if they do not attract other exemption clauses.

CBI was included in the second schedule of the Section 24 of the RTI Act which allows national and security organisations of the country listed under it from making any disclosures under the transparency.

However, information pertaining allegations of corruption and human rights violations do not come under the exemption.

In a case related to RTI application filed by activist C J Karira, CBI argued before the CIC that the agency by large probed cases related to allegations of corruption and disclosing such information would make the exemption given to it "totally infructuous."

The agency, which is probing number of high profile corruption cases such as 2G scam, NRHM scam, Illegal ore mining, CWG scam, Tatra BEML scam besides other such cases pleaded that disclosure of information would defy the objective of keeping it in the exemption list.

"It (section 24 of the RTI Act) does not make any distinction between the exempted organisations on the basis of the functions they perform nor between allegations of corruption on the basis whether it is made against the employees of the exempt organisation or others," Mishra held.

He said it is true that CBI is primarily responsible for investigating into all cases of corruption cases by public servants of the Central Government.