Is the copy of the extradition letter liable to be disclosed under RTI?
7 Mar, 2013Reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has shown that India has received:
- 6 requests of extradition from various countries in 2012,
- 17 requests of extradition from various countries in 2011, and
- 17 requests of extradition from various countries in 2010.
The reply also shows that India has sent:
- 10 requests for extradition of various individuals was sent to foreign countries in 2012,
- 11 requests for extradition of various individuals was sent to foreign countries in 2011, and
- 17 requests for extradition of various individuals was sent to foreign countries in 2010.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has denied information on an applicant who had filed an application under the RTI Act seeking copies of the extradition requests to the US for the then Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson. The MEA has informed that a formal request had been sent to the USA seeking the extradition of Anderson in April, 2011.
The denial of information has also been claimed under section 8(1)(a) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, there shall be no obligation to give any citizen, information, disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence; of the RTI Act alleging that the details of the request and copies of the documents contained therein deal with security of the state and its relation with foreign state. The reply also says that the disclosure of the details of the case may also impede the process of investigation or apprehension or prosecution of offenders in the case under discussion and hence is exempt under section 8(1)(h) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, there shall be no obligation to give any citizen, information which would impede the process of investigation or apprehension or prosecution of offenders; of the RTI Act.
Over 5,200 people had died in the world's worst industrial accident at the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal (MP) on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984 of which Warren Anderson is the prime accused.