An RTI was filed on Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) last year regarding suicide of an IPS officer allegedly due to matrimonial issues. (An earlier RTI to UPSC resulted in forwarding of RTI to DoP&T presumably because they did not have the information). The brief news of suicide is as follows: The text of RTI is given below, which gives the context of RTI, before the information asked: —————————————— With reference to news below about suicide of an IPS Officer in 2018 (PDF of news is also attached as Supporting document): https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/wife-responsible-for-ips-officers-suicide/articleshow/65749669.cms Kindly provide information pertaining to: 1. Any studies/records/discussions/documents …[Continue Reading]
RTI to bring accountability of Police Investigation Officers (IO) and State Public Prosecutors based on Supreme Court judgment in State Of Gujarat vs Kishanbhai, 2014
An important judgment by Supreme Court came in 2014 wherein directions were issued to Home Department of all the States (which have both Police and State Prosecutors under them) to ensure that only people against whom there is sufficient evidence of having committed a crime are prosecuted. It was also directed that if an accused is acquitted after a trial, an accountability is taken as to why the Police or Prosecution failed to convict that accused person, and erring Police Investigation Officers (IO) and Prosecutors should suffer departmental action. The judgment can be referred to at: State Of Gujarat vs …[Continue Reading]
Prenuptial discussion reports in Ministry of WCD – more women empowerment, nothing to safeguard or protect men
Men suffering from false cases related to matrimony have been sharing hope on social media that if pre-nuptial agreements were made legal and valid in India, then it will help men in future, or expressing a narrower implied interest – protect themselves in second marriage. Some have understood the point that even in West where there is more of a regime and cultural acceptance of adhering to letter of law and to contractual obligations, pre-nuptial agreements are easily thrown out in family courts, when they are deemed to be unfair – to women of course. A news was reported few …[Continue Reading]
Will the real opposition to dowry stand up please?
This is the response received to an RTI application filed on Women and Child Development Ministry. According to this RTI response, WCD ministry has not spent a single Rupee on any advertisement campaign against dowry, or extravagant marriages in Apr 2009-Mar 2010. RTI response is also given in PDF format below: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2371641/RTIs_SIFF/WCD-RTI-anti-dowry-exp-marriage.pdf This is the same WCD ministry which had bungled and carried out an advertisement issued on the occasion of the National Girl Child Day that carried a photograph of the former Pakistan Air Force chief, Tanvir Ahmed Mahmood. So it seems they WCD does not spend any money …[Continue Reading]
WCD does not spend any money against dowry or extravagant marriages!
This is the response received to an RTI application filed on Women and Child Development Ministry. According to this RTI response, WCD ministry has not spent a single Rupee on any advertisement campaign against dowry, or extravagant marriages in Apr 2009-Mar 2010. RTI response is also given in PDF format below: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2371641/RTIs_SIFF/WCD-RTI-anti-dowry-exp-marriage.pdf So should we not make sure that there is accountability from a ministry which purports to work for women empowerment, but spends money and time on making goof-ups like carrying ex-Pakistani air chief’s photo in its advertisement on National Girl Child Day.
CIC judgment which allowed police case diary using RTI
This judgment explains the scope of Section 8(1) (g) of RTI act as applied to police case diary: RTI Act’s Sec 8(1) (g): information, the disclosure of which would endanger the life or physical safety of any person or identify the source of information or assistance given in confidence for law enforcement or security purposes; The gist of the judgment is: We say this while still recognizing that in all requests for information under RTI Act, especially when they pertain to the law enforcement authorities, it becomes necessary to strike a fine balance between the imperatives of the confidentiality of …[Continue Reading]
Punjab SIC judgment which allows case diary from police through RTI
The judgment below has been copied from original link of Punjab SIC website given below as given by google search. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=2&ved=0CAwQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.infocommpunjab.com%2Fhtm%2Fdocuments%2F2009%2FOrders%252016%255B1%255D.11.2009.doc&ei=5rjZS-u5HI2gsgPOiJGwAQ&usg=AFQjCNFVw0qpmHUtxfMf6l8ttTJ6hpdMcg&sig2=Ys-RWEwowx4Wn-PDqFtsMA Note: The garbled text in 2 paras in judgment below is as in original judgment. The main points of the judgment are: That section 22 of RTI act has overriding effect on Sec 172 of CrPC. That case diary maintained by police is “information” as per RTI Act. To claim exemption under sec 8 (h) of RTI act, the police should not only allege but also at least prima facie show that disclosure of information would impede the process …[Continue Reading]
Practical techniques in filing RTI applications
It is one thing to draft an RTI application properly with right PIO, address, Postal order etc, but there is still no guarantee that your application may not come back purely based on some technical grounds. Here we will discuss some advanced techniques used by RTI applicants to make sure that the RTI application is always accepted and they do not lose time in re-filing of application. Usually RTI applications are accompanied with Indian Postal Order (IPO) as form of payment. Sometimes the RTI application is sent back (not rejected though) by a government department saying that the should be …[Continue Reading]
How to frame questions in RTI application!
Really good joke sent by someone… those who file RTI applications will get the moral of the story. Jack and Max are walking from religious service. Jack wonders whether it would be all right to smoke while praying. Max replies, “Why don’t you ask the Priest?” So Jack goes up to the Priest and asks, “Father, may I smoke while I pray ?” The Priest replies, “No, my son, you may not! That’s utter disrespect to our religion.” Jack goes back to his friend and tells him what the good Priest told him. Max says, “I’m not surprised. You asked …[Continue Reading]
Tax evasion report has to be made public after investigation
Following is an important judgment by CIC which says that once the investigation on a tax evasion petition is over, it becomes public information and hence RTI filed to disclose that information cannot be rejected on grounds of that being personal information under Section 8(h) of Right to Information Act. Central Information Commission Appeal No.35/IC(A)/06 F. No.CIC/MA/A/2006/00108 Dated, the 8th May, 2006 Name of the Appellant: Sh. Bhagat Singh, House No.5879, Block No.4, Street No.5, Dev Nagar, Karol Bagh, New Delhi – 110 005. Name of the Public Authority : Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), Department of Revenue, Ministry …[Continue Reading]
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