Overview
- A Delhi High Court division bench led by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya said a publicly controlled juristic entity can still claim third-party privacy protections under the RTI Act.
- The appeal by RTI applicant Girish Mittal contests a January 2024 order that scrapped a CIC directive for disclosure of PM CARES tax-exemption records.
- The judges indicated the Income Tax department is not the primary holder of the sought documents and that the fund itself is the repository.
- The litigation also tests the CIC’s remit and the effect of Income Tax Act Section 138 on RTI disclosures identified by the single-judge ruling.
- Mittal seeks the fund’s exemption application papers, related file notings, a list of FY 2019–20 exemption applications, and any rejections with reasons, with arguments to continue on February 10.