mydigitalfc.com: New
Delhi: Monday, April 07, 2014.
The Delhi
High Court has stayed a Central Information Commission order directing the
Ministry of Home Affairs to disclose the reasons behind withdrawal of security
clearance to Global Vectra Helicorp Limited (GVHL), the country's largest
private helicopter company.
Justice
Manmohan was of the "prima facie" view that the ministry was exempted
under the Right to Information (RTI) Act from providing the information as
directed by the commission.
The order had
come on the plea of the ministry which has contended that security inputs of
government agencies cannot be disclosed as it would impede the process of
ongoing probe by agencies like Enforcement Directorate.
"Having
heard counsel for petitioner, this court is prima facie of the view that
exemption under Right to Information Act 2005 are attracted to the present
case. Consequently, the order of the CIC dated November 20, 2013 is stayed till
further orders," the court said.
The Central
Information Commission (CIC) had directed the ministry to broadly provide the
reason, as available on the record of the public authority, for withdrawal of
the security clearance of GVHL, after which the company's Non-Scheduled
Operator's Permit was suspended by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
The CIC had
passed the order on the plea of an RTI applicant Rakesh Soni.
The court
also issued notice to Soni and others and has sought their responses by the
next date of hearing September 30.
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