Will disclosing Priyanka Gandhi's land information pose danger to her security? CIC to decide

Times of India: New Delhi: Thursday, 05 March 2015.

The chief information commissioner of Himachal Pradesh is set to decide if disclosing details concerning a piece of land acquired by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra near Shimla could pose a danger to her security.

In an ongoing RTI appeal in Shimla, advocate for Gandhi, through a person holding the power of attorney on her behalf, has claimed that if the information emerged in public it would have a direct bearing on her security. The advocate said the applicant is not entitled to any information pertaining to the plot since it would be exempted under section 8, which deals with information regarding third party.

And then he added, it is "further fortified by the letter of Special Protection Group dated 21.11.2014, advising the concerned authorities to withhold the information pertaining to the present objectioner, same having the direct bearing on her security and physical safety."

The reply filed on behalf of Gandhi through her SPA (special power of attorney) S Ramakrishnan, also submitted a single page letter from SPG director Durga Prasad dated November 21, 2014. The letter addressed Gandhi said, "The issue has been examined and SPG is of the opinion that information having direct bearing on the security arrangements may be withheld from disclosures." However, it does not specify what is the information that would have direct bearing on the security arrangements.

Activist Dev Ashish Bhattacharya filed the RTI application with DC Shimla in July 2014 seeking file notings, copies of sale deeds, relaxations being given etc, regarding the land bought by Gandhi. Ever since then, the RTI has been shuttling from one office to another, and has now been placed before the state chief information commissioner.

The additional district magistrate who had in July 2014 asked tehsildar Shimla(rural) to provide all necessary information, a month later said the information asked for would be treated as third party information, and issued notice to a local resident who then had the power of attorney on behalf of Priyanka Gandhi.

According to reports, Gandhi had been building her summer home in Charabbra village near Shimla. Report said she had bought the nearly one acre plot for around Rs 47 lakh around 2007.