HUBLI: The Karnataka Information Commission has directed the Hubli-Dharwad Police Commissionerate to provide documents to a complainant in a case related to an inquiry on corruption charges.

In an order of June 8, signed by State Chief Information Commissioner K.K. Misra and State Information Commissioner K.A. Tippeswamy, the Police Commissionerate has been asked to provide a copy of the document by the complainant (Babu Rajendra Bhadrapur of Hubli) free of cost and send a compliance report to the Commission within 15 days.

The commission has said that the respondent (Police Commissionerate) had not dealt with the application of October 26, 2005 of the complainant in accordance with the provisions of the Right To Information Act, 2005. It has said that the commissioner's office has relied on an opinion of October 21, 2005 given by the Assistant Director of Public Prosecution, which was based on his interpretation of Karnataka Right To Information Act, 2000 and not Right To Information Act, 2005 under which the application was made.

The commission expressed its displeasure over the manner in which this application had been dealt with. It noted that the Director-General and Inspector-General of Police had appointed Public Information Officers and Appellate Authorities under the Act of 2005 on November 9, 2005 in respect of the office of Commissioner of Police, Hubli-Dharwad. But the Police Commissionerate, Hubli-Dharwad, was not aware of the appointment as on December 21, 2005.

The commission, after going through the report of the Assistant Commissioner of Police of December 15, 2005, which was the main document sought by the complainant, had observed that there was no confidentiality in the said document and it was not protected under Section 8 and 9 of the Right To Information Act.

The commission had issued summons to Police Commissioner of Hubli-Dharwad and the Public Information Officer of the Police Comissionerate, Hubli-Dharwad, while registering the complaint filed by Mr. Bhadrapura, president, Rashtriya Rachanatmaka Kriyaranga of Hubli. In his complaint, Mr. Bhadrapura had said that the Police Commissioner of Hubli-Dharwad had not provided him the information he had sought regarding a case relating to corruption charges on a police inspector. He had alleged that the Police Commissioner had not given a related document on technical reasons.

Summons

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Information Commission has issued summons for the second time to the Public Information Officer of the Police Commissionerate while registering another complaint filed by Mr. Bhadrapura.

The final disposal of the complaint is scheduled for June 22.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail