No Bar In Furnishing B-Report And Its Enclosures Under RTI When Investigation Is Already Concluded: Karnataka HC

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Karnataka High Court observed that after an investigation is done and a B-Report is filed by the police, there is no limitation under the Right To Information Act against disclosing information about it.
• The above observation was made by a single judge bench of Justice N S Sanjay Godwa while upholding the order of the State Information Commissioner.

BACKGROUND

• The CID's Public Information Officer (PIO) had contested the SIC's order for the CID to hand over and produce the B-Report and its attachments, which had been requested by respondent No.1 (Malleshappa M Chikkeri).
• The respondent's son is said to have committed suicide by jumping out of a window, with authorities claiming that he died as a result of excessive drinking.
• Respondent No.1 had sought information about the B-Report that was filed after the investigation, claiming that the B report had stigmatized his family.
• The petitioners, on the other hand, argued that respondent No. 1 was free to get the B-Report and enclosures from the Magistrate.

COURT’S OBSERVATION

• The SIC had ordered in an appeal that "There was no prohibition to give information sought for since the investigation was already completed. Only in the event, the matter was under investigation.”
• The SIC's order was upheld by the High Court, and the petition was dismissed as a result.

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