New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has held that a spouse cannot seek the other partner’s income and income-tax filing details under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The court said personal income and tax records are inherently private and do not, by themselves, amount to a matter of public interest. It noted that RTI exemptions under Section 8(1)(j) apply unless a larger public interest is established.
The ruling came after a woman from Uttar Pradesh, pursuing a maintenance case, sought her husband’s income-tax return details through RTI to substantiate his actual earnings. In 2021, the Central Information Commission (CIC) had directed the Income Tax Department to provide details for the 2007–08 financial year.
Challenging that direction, the husband approached the Delhi High Court. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, citing RTI provisions and earlier Supreme Court guidance, set aside the CIC order.
The court also clarified that the wife remains free to prove the husband’s income through other lawful means available under the legal process.
