Indian Express: Mumbai: Wednesday, 15 March 2023.
Justice Rohit B Deo and Justice Vrushali V Joshi were hearing a plea filed by Lalan Kishor Singh (61), argued through advocate Jitesh Duhilani, seeking to quash the notice issued to him on December 26, 2021, by the assistant police inspector (Traffic) in Nagpur's MIDC.
After Nagpur Police told the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday that the department will not take further action against a man, who was summoned to record his statement after he filed a query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act related to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the court disposed the plea.
Singh, in his petition filed last year, had said he came to know from newspapers that the government was providing security to the Nagpur-based RSS office, which he claimed was an “unregistered NGO”. Singh added that out of curiosity, on June 30, 2021, he filed an application under the RTI Act seeking information from the state home department’s public information officer that on what basis was security being provided to the RSS office and how much was being spent on the same.
The RTI plea was forwarded to the state intelligence department and later to the Nagpur Police, he said. Singh added that following this, deputy commissioner of Nagpur (Special Branch) informed him that the special branch has been exempted from the RTI Act and thus, cannot provide the information he sought. Singh told the court that on December 26, 2021, assistant police inspector (Traffic), MIDC, served him a notice for inquiry.
Claiming that he was a daily wager, Singh said in his plea, “If security is being provided to an NGO from the revenue collected from the public… it is the constitutional right of every citizen to seek information and raise questions.” He added that the Nagpur Police was time and again pressuring him to appear before it, affecting his daily work.
The plea further said that assistant police inspector (Traffic) is not a competent authority to hold an inquiry against Singh. It added that initiating inquiry against Singh is unlawful and was being done to curb his fundamental rights.
The high court said, “Perusal of the notice reveals that since the petitioner submitted an application seeking Information under the Right to Information Act, 2005 in respect of the security provided to the RSS, the petitioner is summoned for recording of statement.”
Assistant Government Pleader N S Rao orally apologised to Singh and said that no further action shall be taken by the police. Following this, the HC disposed the plea.
Justice Rohit B Deo and Justice Vrushali V Joshi were hearing a plea filed by Lalan Kishor Singh (61), argued through advocate Jitesh Duhilani, seeking to quash the notice issued to him on December 26, 2021, by the assistant police inspector (Traffic) in Nagpur's MIDC.
After Nagpur Police told the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Tuesday that the department will not take further action against a man, who was summoned to record his statement after he filed a query under the Right to Information (RTI) Act related to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the court disposed the plea.
Singh, in his petition filed last year, had said he came to know from newspapers that the government was providing security to the Nagpur-based RSS office, which he claimed was an “unregistered NGO”. Singh added that out of curiosity, on June 30, 2021, he filed an application under the RTI Act seeking information from the state home department’s public information officer that on what basis was security being provided to the RSS office and how much was being spent on the same.
The RTI plea was forwarded to the state intelligence department and later to the Nagpur Police, he said. Singh added that following this, deputy commissioner of Nagpur (Special Branch) informed him that the special branch has been exempted from the RTI Act and thus, cannot provide the information he sought. Singh told the court that on December 26, 2021, assistant police inspector (Traffic), MIDC, served him a notice for inquiry.
Claiming that he was a daily wager, Singh said in his plea, “If security is being provided to an NGO from the revenue collected from the public… it is the constitutional right of every citizen to seek information and raise questions.” He added that the Nagpur Police was time and again pressuring him to appear before it, affecting his daily work.
The plea further said that assistant police inspector (Traffic) is not a competent authority to hold an inquiry against Singh. It added that initiating inquiry against Singh is unlawful and was being done to curb his fundamental rights.
The high court said, “Perusal of the notice reveals that since the petitioner submitted an application seeking Information under the Right to Information Act, 2005 in respect of the security provided to the RSS, the petitioner is summoned for recording of statement.”
Assistant Government Pleader N S Rao orally apologised to Singh and said that no further action shall be taken by the police. Following this, the HC disposed the plea.
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