The Delhi HC stays order for inquiry against 4 CIC officers
30 May, 2012Justice Vipin Sanghi of the Delhi High Court has granted a stay against the order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) to set up an inquiry against four senior officers of the Central Information Commission for their alleged failure to reply to an Right to Information (RTI) query filed in December 2010. Staying the order of setting up an inquiry against Ms. Anita Gupta, First Appellate Authority, Mr. M C Sharma, retired PIO, Mr. S Padmanabha, CPIO and Mr. Akash Deep Chakravarti, Deemed PIO and JS (Law), the High Court has asked the Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi to respond by November 1, 2012.
An appeal was filed by Naveen Kumar Peer to the CIC under the Right to Information (RTI) Act alleging that the reply sent by the department was without signature, Shailesh Gandhi had examined the records and directed setting up an inquiry against the CIC officials under section 18 of RTI Act and also summoned them to appear before him.
Akash Deep Chakravarti, IAS, Deemed PIO and JS (Law) filed a petition before the High Court challenging the interim order of Shailesh Gandhi for the inquiry. It was argued before the HC that Mr. Shailesh Gandhi had in a malafide manner, grossly misused its powers vested in him under the RTI Act and acted in a manner denying natural justice to Mr. Chakravarti. It was contended that the order was passed without even issuing show-cause notice to him.
It has been alleged that Naveen Kumar Peer has filed more than 5000 applications under RTI.