Tribune India: Chandigadh: Friday, April 20, 2018.
Seeking information under the RTI Act about casualties during the militancy era in Punjab can “provoke criminal activities”. This was the response of the Hoshiarpur SSP to a query submitted to the state police by Nawanshahr-based RTI activist Parvinder Kittna.
On a complaint filed by the applicant, the State Information Commission has issued a notice to the state DGP’s office and several district police officers for failing to provide the requisite information.
Kittna had sought details of the dead civilians, militants and police officers, besides missing persons, from 1978 to 1993. The DGP’s office had forwarded the application to the police’s intelligence wing, which refused to do the needful.
The Sangrur SSP argued that the records in this regard were over 20 years old. Several other district police officers refused to provide information under Section 8 of the RTI Act, which exempts certain subjects from disclosure. However, some police districts furnished the information.
The commission has asked the information officers of the DGP’s office, the Patiala SSP and the Police Commissioner, Jalandhar, to appear in the last week of April.
In a voluntary disclosure of the motive behind seeking the information, the applicant had claimed that it was needed in public interest so that a “true picture of the casualties could come to the fore”.
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