CID comes under the ambit of RTI, rules KIC

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) falls under the ambit of the Right to Information Act, the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) has ruled, after the commission learnt that procedures were not followed while excluding the CID from the purview of the Act.

Lavakumar, a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, had filed an RTI on August 2018 seeking information about expenses incurred by officials during investigation of a murder in Karwar in 2000.

The CID had dismissed the RTI, stating that organisation and details sought were beyond the purview of RTI Act as per Section 24(4), which states that RTI is not applicable to intelligence and security organisations established by the state government.

After an appeal, Lavakumar approached the Karnataka Information Commission, contending that the CID was not an intelligence or security organisation. He also argued that for exclusion under Section 24 of the RTI the notification should be placed before the state legislative. But it had not been done in this case, he contended.

On May 20, a bench ruled that the notification to exclude CID had not been placed before the assembly. The bench said that CID is not an intelligence or security organisation.

“The information sought does not pertain to investigation report or intelligence report,” stated the judgement.