Thursday, December 18, 2014

3 lawyers file RTIs for BCI minutes; LI files appeal over Mishra’s decision to hide BCI documents

Legally India: New Delhi: Thursday, 18 December 2014.
Legally India yesterday made an appeal under the Right to Information (RTI) Act against Friday’s (12 December) decision by the BCI chairman to retract the BCI’s reply to an RTI request to inspect its meeting minutes.
BCI co-chairman Manan Kumar Mishra had said the BCI would not allow copying of all the promised documents because he feared Legally India would “create mischief”, despite having invited Legally India to its offices in an RTI response to inspect the requested documents.
BCI secretary and internal RTI appellate authority Jogi Ram Sharma and Mishra had told Legally India on Friday that the BCI would send a second written reply to the RTI within several days with formal, written reasons for rejecting Legally India’s RTI request, besides Mishra’s statement.
However, with the statutory period for an appeal running out on 19 December, Legally India sent the appeal by post to the BCI yesterday [see full copy of appeal below].
Sharma told Legally India by telephone today that he would reply to the appeal directly.
At least two advocates have submitted or will submit copies of Legally India’s original RTI request with the BCI.
One advocate posted a copy yesterday, while another advocate, Dushyant Arora, said that he would file a request by this evening.
Update 17:56: A total of three advocates have now filed RTIs.
Requests to other advocates;
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