The Calcutta High Court criticized Assistant Registrar Anup Kumar Mukherjee for misusing RTI data in a PIL against Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad University, exposing ethical breaches in recruitment allegations.
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KOLKATA: On Thursday(7th march), the Calcutta High Court delivered a stern rebuke to Anup Kumar Mukherjee, the Assistant Registrar and Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad University of Technology. The reprimand came during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Mukherjee against the Union of India, which alleged various recruitment irregularities within the university.
The bench, led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, highlighted a significant misuse of power by Mukherjee, who leveraged confidential information obtained through Right to Information (RTI) queries for personal litigation. The court’s observation pointed to a troubling breach of ethics, as Mukherjee’s position as PIO granted him unrestricted access to sensitive information, which he then used to challenge the university’s recruitment processes.
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Chief Justice Sivagnanam warned Mukherjee-
“Your Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is founded on data obtained through Right to Information (RTI) queries. There are concerns that you may be misusing this information in the PIL. You are strongly advised to reconsider and withdraw the PIL. Failure to do so may result in legal consequences, potentially leading to your direct confinement rather than returning home or attending university.”
The Chief Justice criticized Mukherjee’s actions as a clear conflict of interest, stating-
“You started working in 2019 and are saying there were hiring issues from ten years ago. If you’re serious, maybe consider quitting and dealing with it, instead of talking from inside the system.”
This remark reflects the court’s stance on maintaining integrity and impartiality within public service roles.
The court also highlighted the inappropriate nature of Mukherjee’s allegations while he was still employed by the university, adding-
“You, as the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the university, have breached confidentiality by misusing official information for personal gain. We are dismissing your Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and imposing a cost of Rs. 5 lakh, payable within 48 hours. Failure to comply will result in direct legal consequences, potentially leading to incarceration. Alternatively, you may choose to withdraw the PIL.”
This ultimatum presented by the Chief Justice emphasizes the serious repercussions of misusing one’s official position for personal litigation.
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Mukherjee’s Public Interest Litigation (PIL) made serious accusations of recruitment irregularities at Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad University of Technology, asserting that these actions imposed unnecessary financial burdens on the public exchequer. However, facing judicial pushback, Mukherjee ultimately withdrew the PIL.
