Deepak Kumar Vs Commissioner of Police — Delhi HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

Deepak Kumar Vs Commissioner of Police — Delhi HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Request/direction to the CIC to place the matter before an appropriate Bench to decide the petitioner's application under Section 20 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 as expeditiously as possible; no order on supply of information and no expression on merits. (CM APPL. 70459/2025 for exemption allowed subject to all just exceptions and disposed of.)

Issue for consideration

Whether the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) has been remiss in complying with the directions contained in the order dated 17.03.2025 in W.P.(C) 3214/2025, whereby this Court had directed expeditious disposal of the petitioner's application under Section 20 of the RTI Act, 2005, and what further directions are warranted.

Court's answer

It appears that the matter of the petitioner was not placed before the concerned Bench (of the CIC) for passing of the appropriate order in line with the directions contained in the order dated 17.03.2025 of this Court.

Ratio / Principle

The present petition stands disposed of with a request to the CIC to place the matter before an appropriate Bench to take a decision upon the petitioner's application under Section 20 of the Right to Information Act, 2005, as expeditiously as possible.

Key takeaways

It is made clear that this Court has not expressed any view on the merits of the petitioner's application under Section 20 of the RTI Act, 2005.obiter¶48

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

High Court of Delhi (Sachin Datta, J.), W.P.(C) 17132/2025, Deepak Kumar v. Commissioner of Police, order dated 12.11.2025. RTI — Alleged non-compliance by CIC with earlier HC direction. The petitioner alleged that the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) was remiss in complying with the order dated 17.03.2025 in W.P.(C) 3214/2025, by which this Court had directed the CIC to expeditiously dispose of, preferably within 12 weeks, the petitioner's application under Section 20 of the RTI Act, 2005 (arising from the CIC's decision dated 18.04.2023 directing supply of specified documents free of cost within 15 days, and following withdrawal of the petitioner's earlier writ W.P.(C) 7928/2024 on 29.05.2024 with liberty to approach the CIC under Section 20; the CIC had also noted on 24.06.2024 that almost 175 RTI applications had been filed by the petitioner). The Court found that it appears the petitioner's matter was not placed before the concerned Bench for an order in line with the directions dated 17.03.2025, and disposed of the petition with a request to the CIC to place the matter before an appropriate Bench to decide the Section 20 application as expeditiously as possible, expressly making clear that it has not expressed any view on the merits. CM APPL. 70459/2025 (exemption) was allowed subject to all just exceptions.

Procedural history

How this case reached the court

AI extract

Order under challenge
Alleged non-compliance by the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) with the directions contained in the order dated 17.03.2025 in W.P.(C) 3214/2025 passed by this Court, which had directed the CIC to expeditiously dispose of (preferably within 12 weeks) the petitioner's application under Section 20 of the RTI Act, 2005.¶15
High Court of Delhi · 17.03.2025
Prior proceeding
Petitioner had made an RTI application dated 08.04.2022 seeking information; the earlier writ sought compliance with the CIC order dated 18.04.2023 to provide the complete and original information.¶16
Prior proceeding
By decision dated 18.04.2023, the CIC directed Anil Kumar, APIO, O/o ACP North District, Delhi Police to ensure provision of the relevant documents referred in the reply of 07.07.2022 to the Appellant, free of cost, within 15 days; the CIC otherwise found appropriate responses given per the RTI Act and held that inaction of CBI on the complaint was not amenable to its jurisdiction.¶26
Prior proceeding
Petitioner had earlier filed W.P.(C) 7928/2024 substantially seeking the same relief.¶17
Prior proceeding
The said earlier writ petition (W.P.(C) 7928/2024) was disposed of vide order dated 29.05.2024 as withdrawn, with permission and liberty to approach the Ld. CIC by filing an application under Section 20 of the RTI Act.¶20
Prior proceeding
Permission and liberty, as sought for, were granted in the order dated 29.05.2024 permitting the petitioner to approach the Ld. CIC.¶33
Prior proceeding
Subsequently, the petitioner approached the CIC by way of an application under Section 20 of the RTI Act, 2005; however, it was submitted that the CIC had not scheduled any hearing / passed any order on the said application.¶35
Prior proceeding
Respondent submitted that vide order dated 24.06.2024, in connection with various other RTI applications of the petitioner on the same subject, the CIC took judicial cognizance that almost 175 RTI applications, besides several first and second appeals, had been filed by the petitioner, and had noted that the requisite information had already been provided.¶36
Prior proceeding
After the order dated 17.03.2025, a communication dated 06.05.2025 came to be issued by the Deputy Secretary and Deputy Registrar of the CIC; the text of this communication is not reproduced in the provided judgment text.¶40