Court overturns disclosure directive
The Delhi High Court has quashed an order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) that had directed the Indian Air Force (IAF) to disclose details of foreign trips undertaken by the Prime Minister on special IAF aircraft under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The RTI request was filed by retired naval officer Lokesh K. Bhadra, seeking information on overseas travel by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and current Prime Minister Narendra Modi between April 1, 2013 and June 5, 2018, when such travel was undertaken using IAF aircraft.
In July 2020, the CIC had asked the IAF to provide the information while removing names and identifiers of security personnel. The IAF challenged that directive before the Delhi High Court.
Justice Amit Mahajan held that the fact that public funds are spent on foreign travel cannot, by itself, justify ordering disclosure of information that could compromise security arrangements. The court said security agencies responsible for protection are best placed to decide whether disclosure could endanger the Prime Minister’s life or national security, and that neither the court nor the CIC should interfere in that assessment.
Accordingly, the CIC’s order was set aside.
