Times of India: New Delhi: Monday,
December 12, 2016.
In a rare
intervention against a private entity, the Central Information Commission has
directed the home ministry to reveal security clearances relating to a top Jet
Airways official. Overruling objections by the home ministry (MHA) that
intelligence agencies are outside the purview of RTI Act, CIC's information
commissioner Sudhir Bhargava asked it to disclose security clearance status of
Capt Hameed Ali, a senior official employed with the airline. Ali is anational
of Bahrain.
"The
Commission is of the opinion that the information sought, if disclosed, would
serve larger public interest since it relates to the issue of security
clearance of a person who is working as a senior functionary in the aviation
sector and not following proper procedures while granting security clearance to
such persons could pose a grave threat to the security and safety of
passengers, who travel by air," information commissioner Bhargava noted in
his order.
The order
came on an appeal filed by Rajneesh Kapur, editor of a news magazine. Kapur
alleged that Capt Hameed Ali has been working as COO of Jet Airways for more
than seven years without any security clearance. To find out, he filed an RTI
in MHA seeking to know if "proper procedure for obtaining security
clearance in respect of Hameed Ali was followed by Jet Airways or not".
"Please inform if security clerance was given to Ali or not," it
said.
In response
,the MHA declined to share information citing Section 8 (1) (g) and 24 of RTI
Act that intelligence agencies which grant security clearance are exempted from
the RTI Act.
It also
informed Kapur that disclosure of information relating to security clearance of
entities or individuals in sensitive sectors of the economy can affect the
interest of the country.
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