High Court tells government to disclose IB report to IFS officer

The report is related to alleged harassment and false cases filed against the whistle-blower for exposing graft during his tenure as forest officer in Haryana.

The Delhi high court on Wednesday upheld a CIC order directing the Centre to give IFS officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi a copy of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) report regarding alleged harassment and false cases filed against the whistle-blower for exposing graft during his tenure as forest officer in Haryana.

Forest service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi had blown the whistle on irregularities in recruitment of teachers in Haryana. (File)

The court dismissed the IB’s plea challenging Chief Information Commission’s (CIC) April 2016 order directing to provide a copy of the report in relation to the alleged harassment, human rights violation, and false cases filed against Chaturvedi.

Additional solicitor general Sanjay Jain, appearing for IB, had argued that the report cannot be made public as the agency is protected under section 24 of the RTI Act, which provides that intelligence and security agencies cannot be forced to make any information public.

Chaturvedi had argued that though intelligence and security agencies are exempt from the Act, they cannot claim exemption if the information sought from them relates to corruption and human rights violation. He is currently posted as conservator of forest at Haldwani in Nainital.