1207 SPGoyalVsDCustoms 08 09 9 1
CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION
Room No.308, B wing, August Kranti Bhawan, Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi-110066
Appeal No. CIC/LS/A/2008/01207
Appellant: Shri S.P. Goyal
Public Authority: Customs Department
(through Shri M.V.V. Suryanarayana,
Deputy Commissioner of Customs,
I&G Commissionerate, Delhi(CPIO);
Shri Madan Lal, Superintendent of Customs;
and Inspector N.S. Rawat)
Date of Hearing: 08/09/2009
Date of Decision: 08/09/2009
FACTS
:-
By his letter of 26/05/2008, the Appellant had sought information regarding total
number of cases pending for adjudication with the Commissionerate of I&G, along with
the number of Show Cause notices and dates thereof etc. The CPIO had provided point-
wise information to the appellant vide his letter dated 24/06/2008, indicating the total
number of cases pending adjudication but he had declined to give details thereof under
section 8(1)(d) of the RTI Act on the ground of this information being third party
information. The Appellate Authority had upheld the decision of the CPIO vide order
dated 08/08/2008.
2. Dissatisfied with the orders of the CPIO and the AA, the appellant has filed the
present Appeal.
3. Heard on 08/09/2009. Appellant present. The public authority is represented by
the officers named above. The appellant would forcefully plead that simply indicating the
number of cases pending adjudication is not sufficient and that he needs to know the
identity of parties against whom such cases are pending. Shri Suryanarayana, however,
would plead against disclosure of this information as it relates to third parties.
1207 SPGoyalVsDCustoms 08 09 9 2
DECISION
4. There is no doubt that the appellant is seeking information about third parties but
the fact remains that third parties are also law breakers and, therefore, even if their
identity is disclosed to the appellant, no harm is going to be caused to the society.
However, the financial aspects of these cases need not be disclosed as that will amount to
disclosure of ‘personal information’. In this view of the matter, the CPIO is hereby
directed to provide a list of pending cases, indicating names of parties, to the appellant in
next 04 weeks time. The information may be provided as it obtained on the day of the
filing of RTI application.
Sd/-
(M.L. Sharma)
Central 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.
(K.L. Das)
Assistant Registrar
Tele: 011 2671 73 53
Fax: 011 2610 62 76
Copy to:- (1) Shri S.P. Goyal,
103 A, Krishna Chambers,
59, New Marine Lines,
Mumbai-400020.
(2) The Commissioner of Customs (I&G),
New Customs House, Near IGI Airport,
New Delhi.
(3) The Addl. Commissioner of Income Tax
Range-12, Central Revenue Building,
IP Estate, New Delhi.
(4) Shri M.V.V. Suryanarana,
Deputy Commissioner of Customs (I&G),
New Customs House, Near IGI Airport,
New Delhi.