India Today: Mumbai: Friday, 03 November 2023.
Citing security reasons, the High Court’s public information officer said that disclosing the requested information would jeopardise the lives and physical safety of the judges and officials.
The Bombay High Court has declined to release information regarding the structural audits of its more than 160-year-old heritage building in south Mumbai, asserting that disclosing such information would endanger the lives of judges and other officials.
Activist Zoru Bathena had submitted a Right to Information Act (RTI) application last month, requesting copies of the three most recent structural audits carried out for the Bombay High Court's main and annexe buildings.
"The information sought is exempt from disclosure for security reasons. Disclosing the requested information would also jeopardise the lives and physical safety of the judges and officials of the Bombay High Court," the response stated.
It further stated that the information requested is held by a relevant department in a "fiduciary relationship," and preserving the confidentiality of such sensitive information is necessary. The public information officer stated that "no larger public interest is demonstrated in your application. Hence, the information sought cannot be disclosed due to the exemption from disclosure under section 8(1)(e) of the Right to Information Act."
Bathena stated that he intends to file an appeal against the refusal to provide the information with the appropriate appellate authority.
"The BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) claimed the reservoir was beyond repair and needed to be reconstructed. We wanted to give examples of the High Court building and the BMC’s headquarters building, which are also over a century old but are being repaired and not reconstructed," Bathena said.
He noted that he had requested the same information regarding structural audit reports of the BMC building and had received the relevant responses, but the High Court declined to provide the information.
Citing security reasons, the High Court’s public information officer said that disclosing the requested information would jeopardise the lives and physical safety of the judges and officials.
The Bombay High Court has declined to release information regarding the structural audits of its more than 160-year-old heritage building in south Mumbai, asserting that disclosing such information would endanger the lives of judges and other officials.
Activist Zoru Bathena had submitted a Right to Information Act (RTI) application last month, requesting copies of the three most recent structural audits carried out for the Bombay High Court's main and annexe buildings.
"The information sought is exempt from disclosure for security reasons. Disclosing the requested information would also jeopardise the lives and physical safety of the judges and officials of the Bombay High Court," the response stated.
It further stated that the information requested is held by a relevant department in a "fiduciary relationship," and preserving the confidentiality of such sensitive information is necessary. The public information officer stated that "no larger public interest is demonstrated in your application. Hence, the information sought cannot be disclosed due to the exemption from disclosure under section 8(1)(e) of the Right to Information Act."
Bathena stated that he intends to file an appeal against the refusal to provide the information with the appropriate appellate authority.
"The BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) claimed the reservoir was beyond repair and needed to be reconstructed. We wanted to give examples of the High Court building and the BMC’s headquarters building, which are also over a century old but are being repaired and not reconstructed," Bathena said.
He noted that he had requested the same information regarding structural audit reports of the BMC building and had received the relevant responses, but the High Court declined to provide the information.
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