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Synopsis

The Bombay High Court has declined to disclose the details of the structural audit of its building in Mumbai in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application.

The Public Information Officer refused to disclose the details, asserting that there was no public interest in sharing the information and that doing so could potentially jeopardize the safety of judges.

"The information sought is also exempted from disclosure as the disclosure of the same would endanger the life or physical safety of judges and officials of the High Court," the response reads.

The application was filed by Zoru Bhathena, an activist based in the city, who sought information regarding the structural audits.

He had filed the application for the purpose of filing a writ petition related to the 140-year-old Malabar Hill Reservoir.

The BMC had proposed the reconstruction of the reservoir due to its age, and Bhathena filed the RTI application to obtain details about the high court building, which is older than the reservoir, in order to substantiate his claim.

The response to the RTI application mentioned that the details of the structural audit of the high court building were exempted from disclosure under Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act for security purposes.

The PIO of the High Court, PA Patki, stated that the preservation and confidentiality of such information is necessary.

"The information sought by you has no relationship with the larger public activity or interest. Also, the preservation of confidentiality of such sensitive information is necessary. There in view of the object of the RTI Act, the information sought cannot be provided to you," the response reads.