Court dismisses petition seeking RTI information on pending complaint, citing privacy exemptions.

The court dismissed the petition seeking to quash an order denying information under the RTI Act related to a pending complaint against the petitioner. The court held that the requested information indirectly aimed at obtaining personal tax records, falling under Section 8(1)(j) exemptions. Additionally, the Directorate General of Income Tax (Investigation) was exempt under Section 24, justifying the denial of information. The court emphasized that personal tax records cannot be disclosed unless a larger public interest justifies it, affirming the decision to deny the petitioner's request.

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Issues:
1. Quashing of order denying information sought under RTI Act.
2. Application of Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act.
3. Exemption under Section 24 of the RTI Act.

Issue 1: Quashing of order denying information sought under RTI Act

The petitioner sought to quash an order by the Central Information Commission denying information requested under the RTI Act regarding a pending complaint against the petitioner under the Negotiable Instrument Act. The petitioner wanted to know the status of the complaint and the actions taken by the department in response to it. The Department denied the information stating it related to a third party. The petitioner's appeals were also dismissed, leading to this writ petition.

Issue 2: Application of Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act

The Central Information Commission relied on the Supreme Court judgment in Girish Ramchandra Deshpande vs. CIC, which held that income tax returns and related documents are personal information exempt from disclosure under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act. The petitioner argued that they were not seeking income tax records but only information on actions taken regarding the complaint. However, the court found that the petitioner's request indirectly aimed at obtaining personal tax records, which cannot be disclosed under Section 8(1)(j) unless a larger public interest justifies it.

Issue 3: Exemption under Section 24 of the RTI Act

The respondents argued that the Additional Director of Income Tax (Investigation) was exempt from the RTI Act under Section 24, as per the Second Schedule. The court referred to a previous judgment where it was held that information received from the Directorate General of Income Tax (Investigation) falls under the exclusionary provisions of Section 24(1) of the Act. This exemption, along with the application of Section 8(1)(j), justified the denial of the information sought by the petitioner.

In conclusion, the court dismissed the petition, stating that the petitioner's request for information was essentially related to personal tax records, which cannot be disclosed under the RTI Act unless a larger public interest justifies it. The court also upheld the exemption under Section 24 of the RTI Act for the Directorate General of Income Tax (Investigation), affirming the decision to deny the information sought by the petitioner.

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