CIC show cause notice to MHA on denying phone tapping information

The CIC has issued a show cause notice to a home ministry official for citing wrong reasons to withhold information related to permission for phone tapping in a case of alleged corruption.

The permission was granted by then home secretary to the CBI. The information being sought related to 2016.

S Durga Prasad, the accused in the CBI case, had approached the union home ministry seeking a copy of the proposal sent by the Superintendent of Police Special Unit, CBI, Chennai, requesting permission from the home secretary for intercepting the mobile numbers 944 **** 506 and 944 **** 494.

He also sought to know the orders passed by the home ministry along with file notings. The ministry cited three exemption clauses of the RTI Act to deny information to the applicant -- prejudicially affecting national security, personal safety and adversely affecting ongoing investigation and prosecution of offenders.

"The appellant requested the Commission to direct the CPIO to provide the information sought for by him excluding the names and identities of the officials who had passed the order for intercepting the mobiles and the names of the officials who were involved in this issue," Information Commissioner Sudhir Bhargava noted.

Prasad said during the hearing that the clause of national security would not hold to deny information as he was booked in a corruption case.