HC issues notice to Haryana government
2 Sep, 2014
The Bench of Justice Jaswant Singh of Punjab & Haryana High Court has issued notice to the Haryana Govt. and State Information Commission, for denying the details of the corruption cases registered against the IAS, HCS IPS, HPS officers of Haryana cadre, under the RTI Act. The Government had denied information on the ground that the information about the involvement of public servant in corruption cases is ‘personal information’ and it was ‘a matter between employer and employee’. The Government has been directed to file reply by the month of January, 2015.
RTI Activist Subhash Chander, through Pardeep Rapria, Advocate pleaded before the High Court that the public ‘being the master of public servants has fundamental right to know about their conduct, especially in reference to corruption cases registered during the discharge of their public duties. The officials involved in corruption cases don’t have any right to privacy and disclosure of such information is larger public interest. Counsel for Mr. Subhash also argued that media is at liberty to comment about the cases against lay man, but in case of a public servant such information has been withheld. High Court was surprised at the decision of the State Information Commission and State Government and by agreeing with the arguments of the Advocate for the petitioner issued notice to the Government.