Zee News: New Delhi: Saturday,
February 01, 2014.
The Delhi
High Court on Friday issued notice to central and city government on a plea
filed by a prime accused in the 2006 Mumbai serial train blasts, seeking a
direction that he be provided books on homoeopathy free of cost in jail for
studying as he was too poor to afford them.
Justice
Manmohan, issuing notice to the governments, asked them to file response on
plea of Ehtesham Qutubuddin Siddiqui who is lodged in Arthur Road jail in
Mumbai.
Siddiqui had
moved the court after attempts by him to get the books from Central Council for
Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH), Delhi by filing a Right to Information (RTI)
plea failed with Central Information Commission (CIC) rejecting the request.
He sought
direction to supply copies of all 45 books published by CCRH, Delhi.
Siddiqui had
earlier written a letter to the Delhi's chief justice claiming his right to
study the medical books after his request was rejected by CCRH and CIC.
Acting on the
letter, the high court had converted the plea into a PIL and appointed advocate
Sumeet Pushkarna as amicus curiae to assist the court in the matter.
In his plea,
Siddiqui said the prisoners are not ordinary citizens and special consideration
is required for his application under RTI for copies of all books.
In his
letter, he said that he had filed an application under the RTI Act but the CCRH
turned his request down on the ground that these were "priced
publications" and hence could not be given out free of cost.
Siddiqui's
request for soft copies was also turned down, citing copyright laws.
As he fell in
the below poverty line category, which was verified by the Bombay High Court
registrar, Siddiqui said he should be given this information free of cost.
Since a
prisoner is not allowed to do any business to earn money, the state must ensure
that he is provided the publications, his plea added.
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