Delhi High Court seeks Centre’s response on statistical information on e-surveillance under RTI Act
The court was hearing a petition that challenged the order passed by the Central Information Commissioner (CIC) on the second appeal filed by Apar Gupta.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Centre on a petition seeking disclosure of statistical information on state-sponsored electronic surveillance under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Justice Yashwant Varma directed the respondents to file a response on the merit of the petition moved by Apar Gupta within two weeks, and accordingly listed the matter for November 9.
The court was hearing a petition that challenged the order passed by the Central Information Commissioner (CIC) on the second appeal filed by Apar Gupta.
The order stated that the CIC, in deciding the second appeal, accepted the government authorities' belated and insubstantial claim that the information sought had been destroyed and thus did not exist.
Apra Gupta, a lawyer, and co-founder and Executive Director of the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), filed six RTI applications in December 2018 seeking information on the number of orders granted permission for electronic surveillance under Section 69 of the Information and Technology (IT) Act between January 2016 and December 2018.
The aforementioned information was denied by the Cyber Security Unit of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Thereafter, Gupta moved an appeal against the order.
Case Title: Apar Gupta v. Central Public Information Officer, Ministry of Home Affairs & Ors.
[Inputs: ANI]