Candidates in MP list their criminal records, with a little help from RTI

BHOPAL: During elections, journalists, activists, and even ordinary people sometimes use the right to information (RTI) route to unearth information about the candidates. Sometimes, the candidates themselves use it to dig out things about their opponents. This year, though, in the run-up to the elections in Madhya Pradesh, candidates are using it to find information about themselves.

Candidates from several political parties have filed RTI applications at the district superintendent of police’s office, seeking details of their own criminal records to save themselves from any action in future.

A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court ordered on September 25 that all contesting candidates should publicise their criminal records in widely circulated newspaper and elec- tronic media at least thrice to inform voters on just who they are voting for. Inadequate or incorrect disclosure may attract a challenge in a court of law, if the candidate wins the election.

The state elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Mizoram and Chhattisgarh are the first after the SC ruling and because candidates don’t want to provide incomplete or wrong information, they have approached the superintendent of police of their districts for details of all criminal cases against them. The police department’s response in most cases: file an RTI.

I filed an RTI to know the status of the case as the matter is pending before the court SURENDRA NATH SINGH,

BJP MLA and candidate from Bhopal central