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Civil society objects to keeping CBI out of RTI

Civil society objects to keeping CBI out of RTI

The Congress-led government last week exempted CBI from providing information sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The move has not gone down well with civil society activists who are not only terming the move as “illegal” but are also thinking of challenging it.

“It is not only wrong but also illegal. It’s written in the RTI act that only intelligence or security agencies can be exempted but CBI is neither of that. CBI is a kind of police force. We are thinking of challenging it,” Shekhar Singh of National Campaign for Peoples’ Right to Information (NCPRI) told DNA.

NCPRI was instrumental in the act’s formulation. Singh said: “The RTI Act already has provisions of exempting information which can pose problem in investigation or creates problem for CBI’s source. So this step is totally wrong.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, who is already part of the Lokpal bill movement, also criticized the move.

“The move is a retrograde step. It seems the step is taken to stop sensitive information coming out about important cases handled by CBI where investigation has been completed. The act already has provisions for exempting information if its disclosure impedes investigation,” Bhushan told DNA.

Info:https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_civil-society-objects-to-keeping-cbi-out-of-rti_1554737

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4 Replies

Somnath Gangopadhyay (Legal Practitioner) 17 June 2011

Formulation of the RTI Act is the major problem and the same should be drastically changed otherwise Civil Society will always come up with one or more ideas like this one. Any kind of information relating to police administration should be out of ambit of RTI Act for a certain period of time after resolving any issue. In other words there should be a cap on the disclosure of information relating to police administration about any closed or completed investigation for a certain period of time.

Democratic Indian (n/a) 17 June 2011

I totally disagree with idea of Somnath Gangopadhyay. We are a democratic country not a police state. CBI(practically Coverup Bureau of Investigation) has already been reduced to the status of lapdog for ruling party at Center and unnecessary "exemptions" will make the things even worse for public. Don't people have any right to know what has been the result of investigations in matters related to public interest?

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https://www.lawyersclubindia.com/forum/RKBA-guaranteed-under-Articles-19-and-21-of-Constitution-36011.asp

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(Guest)

I totally agree with the views expressed by Democratic Indian. Rather I wish to go one step further- revoking all exemptions under RTI. The new provision should state that all public as well as private enterprises, Departments , Agencies are hereby brought under the domain of RTI Act 2005. None is exempted from disclosure with a rider that if any PIO/CPIO is convinced that the matter in hand need to be keot secret in the larger interest the concerened PIO/CPIO shall take up case with the CIC to order immunity. incase it fails do that all documents , orders , noting sheets etc etc are to provided suo motto to the RTI applicant within the stipulated time period.

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hema (law officer) 18 June 2011

I totally disagree with all of you. I simply hate RTI Act. It is not allowing me to do whatever I like. I want full freedome to loot the people. For that people elected me for 5 years. The corporate giants bribe me to the hilt and get their work done. Then they rush to bureaucrats and bribe them to neck. We and the bureaucrats work for them. We, the politicians, bureaucrats and corporate honchos are trioka and fountain heads of corruption. The RTI Act is exposing us in public gare and is not allowing us to exercise our fundamental right of "looting the people". It should be thrown away in Bay of Bengal.

Thank God, in these days, we have got a very reliable opposition - BJP, which is waiting in the wings to dethrown us.(Any way, we told them just wait for 3 more years and their turn will come). You see, it is a sensible party. It plays only shadow boxing. It is also not protesting about taking away CBI from the purview of RTI Act and it is also not commenting about taking away the PM and Members of Parliament from the purview of Lok Pal Bill. It is such a responsible and Rashtra Bhakth opposition, We do not mind if they come into power after waiting three more years. We assure the people of India we will not disturb their looting for 5 years of their tenure (you see, we did not disturb them in the past for their 6 years interruption free looting of the nation) and we patiently wait for our turn.

Down with RTI, Down with Lok Pal Bill.

Zindabad Congress /UPA, Zindabad BJP/NDA.

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