CBI must disclose corruption or human rights info regardless of organization under RTI Act

The Commission held that the CBI is obligated to provide information on corruption or human rights violation allegations, regardless of the organization involved, as per the proviso to Section 24(1) of the RTI Act. The Commission advised the Director of CBI to ensure CPIOs are aware of the Act's scope. The appeal was dismissed due to lack of concrete evidence supporting corruption allegations.

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Issues:
- Information sought regarding action taken on a complaint
- CPIO's failure to provide desired information
- Applicability of RTI Act to CBI
- Interpretation of proviso to Section 24(1) of RTI Act
- Commission's decision on the appeal

Information sought regarding action taken on a complaint:
The Appellant sought details of action taken on a complaint regarding alleged irregularities in allotting LPG Distributorship by IOCL officers. The CPIO did not provide the desired information, leading to the Second Appeal.

CPIO's failure to provide desired information:
During the hearing, the CPIO stated that CBI is placed at Sl. No.23 of the Second Schedule to the RTI Act 2005 and is not obligated to provide information except in cases of specific corruption or human rights violation allegations. The CPIO referred to previous decisions and submissions, highlighting that CBI is only obliged to provide information related to corruption allegations against its employees.

Applicability of RTI Act to CBI:
The Commission observed that the CPIO's reliance on past decisions to support the view that CBI is only required to provide information on corruption allegations against its employees was not valid. Referring to a judgment of the Delhi High Court, the Commission clarified that if information sought pertains to corruption or human rights violation, it is exempt from the exclusion clause, regardless of the organization involved.

Interpretation of proviso to Section 24(1) of RTI Act:
The Commission emphasized that the proviso to Section 24(1) of the RTI Act applies to all information related to corruption and human rights violations, irrespective of the organization or individual involved. The Commission advised the Director of CBI to sensitize CPIOs about the scope and ambit of the RTI Act to prevent future violations.

Commission's decision on the appeal:
The Commission found no substantive evidence supporting the Appellant's claim of corruption allegations. Without concrete material or an opportunity for the Appellant to present his case, the mere claim of corruption or human rights violation was deemed insufficient to trigger the proviso to Section 24(1) of the RTI Act. The appeal was disposed of with observations and an advisory to the Director of CBI.

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