Delhi HC Seeks Reply From SC CPIO for Denial of Information on Madras HC Justice T Raja
The Delhi High Court, recently, issued notice to the Chief Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the Supreme Court of India in a petition filed by activist Saurav Das challenging the denial of information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act regarding complaints against a former acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, T Raja. The bench of Justice Sachin Datta rescheduled the matter for September 8, 2025.
The petitioner challenged an order passed by the Central Information Commission (CIC) in October 2024, which effectively denied access to the information sought. The RTI application, filed on April 25, 2023, requested information on whether any complaints, letters, representation, or otherwise, alleging corruption or improper conduct had been received by the Chief Justice of India, the Supreme Court collegium, or the apex court concerning Justice T Raja during his tenure. In addition to a confirmation of whether such complaints had been received, the applicant also sought the total number of such complaints and details of any action taken.
The CPIO responded that the information was “not maintained in the manner as sought for”. The petitioner argued that the RTI query merely required a "yes or no" answer and did not necessitate the maintenance of records in any specific format. The plea further contended that the denial was unjustified and not supported by any exemption under the RTI Act.
It was also submitted that the CPIO did not claim any violation of third-party privacy, yet the CIC introduced a new ground for denial in its decision. The petitioner emphasized the public interest in promoting judicial accountability and urged the court to direct the CPIO to furnish the information requested.
For Petitioner: Advocate Prashant Bhushan
Case Title: Saurav Das v CPIO Supreme Court of India (W.P.(C) 7342/2025)