Central Information Commission, New Delhi
File No.CIC/WB/A/2009/000705SM
Right to Information Act2005Under Section (19)
Date of hearing : 20 April 2011
Date of decision : 20 April 2011
Name of the Appellant : Shri N Barnaba
Secretary, Consumer Vigilance Cell,
Jabaveedu Street, Dohnavur,
Distt - Tirunelveli, T N - 627 102.
Name of the Public Authority : The Central Public Information Officer,
Supreme Court of India,
New Delhi.
The Appellant was present in person.
On behalf of the Respondent, the following were present:
(i) Smt. Smita Vats Sharma, CPIO,
(ii) Smt. Asha Ahuja, Br. Officer,
(iii) Shri Arijit Prasad, Advocate
Chief Information Commissioner : Shri Satyananda Mishra
2. The Appellant was present in the Tirunelveli studio of the NIC while the
Respondents are present in our chamber. We heard their submissions.
3. The Appellant had wanted to know about the action taken on a petition
CIC/WB/A/2009/000705SM
he had addressed to the Chief Justice of India. The CPIO had informed him that
the Supreme Court Registry did not have any record of this petition. The
Appellate Authority had also endorsed this response.
4. During the hearing, the Appellant submitted that the CPIO was obliged to
provide information on the fate of that petition and that it was very strange that
the Registry should claim not to have any knowledge about it. On the other
hand, the Respondents submitted that since the petition was addressed to the
Chief Justice of India, apparently, the Registry had no knowledge about it.
5. We think that the CPIO should have taken the pains to find out about the
existence of this petition and about the action taken on it from the office of the
Chief Justice of India before responding to the Appellant. In any case, for an
ordinary information seeker, it would be difficult to appreciate the distinction
between the Registry of the Supreme Court and the office of the Chief Justice
of India.
6. We, therefore, direct the CPIO to find out about the said petition from the
office of the Chief Justice of India including about the action, if any, taken on
that petition and inform the Appellant within 10 working days from the receipt of
this order.
7. The appeal is disposed off accordingly.
8. Copies of this order be given free of cost to the parties.
CIC/WB/A/2009/000705SM
(Satyananda Mishra)
Chief Information Commissioner
Authenticated true copy. Additional copies of orders shall be supplied against
application and payment of the charges prescribed under the Act to the CPIO of this
Commission.
(Vijay Bhalla)
Deputy Registrar
CIC/WB/A/2009/000705SM