PANJIM: The High Court of
Bombay at Goa set aside an order of the Goa state information commission (GSIC)
that had turned down a plea seeking details of Goa police officers’ annual
property returns. In 2009, the GSIC dismissed an appeal filed by RTI
activist Kashinath Shetye that sought information about the annual property
returns filed by the police officers.
Shetye, in the year 2008 had
sought information from the public information officer at the police
headquarters about the annual property returns filed by the deputy
superintendents and their superiors (in traffic matters) from the year 1998.
This information was however denied under section 8(1) (j) of the RTI act by
the PIO and the first appellate authority. Subsequently, Shetye approached the
GSIC that dismissed his appeal. “The manner in which the information was
sought and since there is no nexus of the information required of the annual
returns of all deputy superintendents of police and of the officers above them,
with the rest of information which refers only to traffic matters, the
appellant is not entitled for the information sought,” the order
dated April 28, 2009 read as. Shetye then moved the high court challenging the
order. The bench has now sought the Inspector General of Police to hear the
plea.
