Commission accused of not acting against HC

The Hindu: Madurai: Friday, 10 April 2015.

A writ petition has been filed in the Madras High Court Bench here accusing the Tamil Nadu Information Commission of not initiating appropriate action against the High Court for reportedly not providing certain details sought under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

The petitioner, K. Kathiresan of Madurai, alleged that the commission had failed to act against the High Court Registry despite its failure to provide him copies of application forms and police verification certificates of 23 District Judges appointed on January 2, 2014.

According to the petitioner’s counsel, W. Peter Ramesh Kumar, the RTI application was initially made to the State government’s Public Department on November 25, 2014, since the petitioner suspected that some of the appointees had concealed their alleged involvement in criminal cases.

The Under Secretary, Public Department, informed the petitioner on December 3, 2014, that his application had been forwarded to the Assistant Public Information Officer-cum-Joint Registrar of the High Court for necessary action as the issue was related to the High Court.

Thereafter, the petitioner reportedly went on first appeal to the Registrar General of the High Court, accusing the APIO of not providing the information sought by him. Since the appeal went unanswered, he approached the Information Commission on February 21 this year.

Claiming that the commission too did not respond, the petitioner sought a direction to dispose of his second appeal within a time frame. Justices S. Manikumar and G. Chockalingam on Wednesday adjourned the hearing in the case till April 16 to enable the counsel for the commission to obtain instructions.