Times of India: Hyderabad: Tuesday, 12Th August
2025.
The Telangana high court dismissed an advocate's appeal seeking information pertaining to his former father-in-law, an ex-assistant director in the endowments department, under the RTI Act. He sought detailed records from the income tax department, including statements and notices issued to his former father-in-law during an inquiry into a tax evasion petition.
The advocate (petitioner)
stated that he needed the information to use as evidence in a domestic violence
case registered against him by his ex-wife. Citing that the information sought
was not of any public interest, the high court dismissed his petition.
The case was registered on a complaint from his wife, alleging that her father spent Rs 1.5 crore on her wedding and also purchased around 1.5 kg of gold and 15 kg of silver as gifts for her husband's family. However, they got divorced in 2024 on grounds of proven cruelty by the wife.
Subsequently, the man filed an RTI application with the I-T department seeking details of an inquiry conducted against his father-in-law in connection with siphoning funds from a temple renovation at Uppal Kalan, Hyderabad. The application was dismissed as the information sought falls into the classification of exclusions listed in the RTI Act. Following the dismissal of his appeals, he moved the high court.
Though the petitioner claimed that the RTI dismissal orders at various levels suffered from a lack of application of mind or proper reasoning, the court did not consider the claims.
While emphasising that the petitioner can take defence of the information already supplied to him under the RTI Act in a criminal proceeding, the court noted that the information sought cannot fall into the category of public interest. "The disclosure of such information relating to tax evasion against a third party should not be allowed under the category of public interest," ruled the court, dismissing the petition.
The Telangana high court dismissed an advocate's appeal seeking information pertaining to his former father-in-law, an ex-assistant director in the endowments department, under the RTI Act. He sought detailed records from the income tax department, including statements and notices issued to his former father-in-law during an inquiry into a tax evasion petition.
The case was registered on a complaint from his wife, alleging that her father spent Rs 1.5 crore on her wedding and also purchased around 1.5 kg of gold and 15 kg of silver as gifts for her husband's family. However, they got divorced in 2024 on grounds of proven cruelty by the wife.
Subsequently, the man filed an RTI application with the I-T department seeking details of an inquiry conducted against his father-in-law in connection with siphoning funds from a temple renovation at Uppal Kalan, Hyderabad. The application was dismissed as the information sought falls into the classification of exclusions listed in the RTI Act. Following the dismissal of his appeals, he moved the high court.
Though the petitioner claimed that the RTI dismissal orders at various levels suffered from a lack of application of mind or proper reasoning, the court did not consider the claims.
While emphasising that the petitioner can take defence of the information already supplied to him under the RTI Act in a criminal proceeding, the court noted that the information sought cannot fall into the category of public interest. "The disclosure of such information relating to tax evasion against a third party should not be allowed under the category of public interest," ruled the court, dismissing the petition.
.JPG)
.JPG)
