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Monday, Aug 20, 2007
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Documents on probe into Purulia arms drop can’t be given: CIC

New Delhi: The Central Information Commission has dismissed an application seeking copies of ministerial documents that were placed before a special select committee of Parliament probing the 1995 Purulia arms drop.

Jammu resident B.R. Manhas had submitted an application under the Right To Information to the Lok Sabha Secretariat, seeking copies of the “written stand” of the ministries of Home, Defence and Civil Aviation as submitted before the committee.

Claiming to be a relative of Acharya Tadabhavananda Avtar -- an accused in the arms drop case -- Manhas also sought a copy of the committee’s report that was submitted to the Parliament in 1997.

While the committee’s report was provided to Manhas, copies of the submissions made by the ministries and documentary proof in that regard were denied on grounds of being “confidential and sensitive in nature.”

Conforming to the view of the Lok Sabha Secretariat, Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, in a recent order, dismissed Manhas’ appeal to get copies of the submissions.

Manhas had contended that as members of Parliament had access to documents laid before the special select committee, there was no reason that he could be denied the same.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat’s director, however, contested Manhas’ contention, saying that “a member of Parliament is a public servant and is under an oath to keep secrecy of documents that come before him during the performance of his official duties.”— PTI

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