No personal details even if she is your wife, rules High Court

Bangalore Mirror: Bangalore: Monday, June 22, 2015.

Passport officer rejects husband's RTI application and HC says the officer is justified.

Pawan Chandra, 43, filed an application under the RTI Act seeking certain information relating to the passport issued to his wife by the Regional Passport Officer. The officer informed him that the info cannot be furnished. Such information is not liable to be disclosed in view of the provision of Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act which prohibits it, he was told by the High Court of Karnataka.

After his appeal was rejected by the first appellate authority, the Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Chandra had appealed the Central Information Commissioner, and had approached the High Court. The HC in its order noted that even if that issue of appeal before the CIC is kept aside, the Passport Officer was right in his stand. "The reasons indicated are justified in view of the provisions contained in the RTI Act. Hence, the same does not call for interference."

Chandra's advocate said he was seeking personal details of his wife as "there are certain matrimonial disputes between them."

In such a situation, the HC refused to given any direction to the Passport Officer regarding Pawan's RTI application. However it said he has the option of approaching the CIC with an appeal.