HC to DMRC: Disclose crashed pillar’s design

The Delhi high court on Friday directed the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to disclose the design of an under-construction pillar at Zamrudpur in south Delhi that collapsed last year, killing six people.

The Delhi high court on Friday directed the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to disclose the design of an under-construction pillar at Zamrudpur in south Delhi that collapsed last year, killing six people.

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The court issued the order while dismissing the DMRC's appeal against a Central Information Commission (CIC) order of March 18, 2010, asking it to reveal the design to architect Sudhir Vohra under the RTI Act.

"The details of the design are already on the internet and, therefore, in the public domain. In the circumstances, the disclosure of such design can hardly be said to prejudicially affect the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the DMRC (as claimed by it). Consequently, this court finds no ground having been made out by the DMRC for interfering with the impugned order passed by the CIC", said Justice S Muralidhar.

Vohra had sought all details of the design and structure for academic purpose (for his study and analysis of the failed design). The court also rejected the arguments of the DMRC that the design cannot be shared as it comes under its intellectual property rights.

The DMRC also contended it had been approached by various countries to provide them consultancy services as well as to set out the design parameters or standards with respect to the implementation or development of the Metro rail projects. According to the DMRC, any disclosure of the structural design would cause it commercial loss.