JOIN USApex court refuses info under RTI on CD relating to Singhvi
The Supreme Court has refused to confirm if the Chief Justice of India (CJI) had taken cognisance of the news reports relating to a sex CD allegedly involving Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi.
In a reply furnished under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the apex court’s registry did not confirm whether the news reports on the CD allegedly containing “some mention of interference in judicial appointments” were considered or not.
“It is beyond the jurisdiction and scope of the duties of the Chief Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the Supreme Court of India under the Right to Information Act 2005 to authenticate news report to interpret the law, or judgments of this court or of any other court, opine, comment or advise on matters, your request cannot be acceded to under the RTI Act,” Additional Registrar and CPIO Smita Vats Sharma said.
The CD allegedly involving Singhvi and a woman lawyer in a purported compromising position was circulated last month, prompting the Congress leader to resign from Chairman of a Parliamentary Standing Committee post. Singhvi had claimed that the CD was “fabricated and morphed” and denied its contents.
Noted RTI activists Subhash C Agrawal had sought the response from the apex court on a news-report stating that Justice S H Kapadia had sent for review names of five persons, recommended for appointment as Judges at the Delhi High Court.
With regard to development on appointments of judges, the CPIO referred to an SC order of December 4, 2009, staying disclosure of any such information, saying that it would amount to contempt of court.
Dissatisfied with the response from the SC registry, Agrawal filed an appeal before the appellate authority. He decried the refusal of information saying “such an attitude on part of registry of country’s highest court is highly regrettable which not only harasses RTI petitioners, but also involves valuable time of all concerned including of already over-burdened Central Information Commission.”
“In an earlier RTI response, CPIO had confessed about being a system at Supreme Court to take cognisance of news reports.”