Delhi High Court told journalists to approach CIC and Supreme Court for public access to its hearings.
Court stressed avoiding multiple proceedings and promoting procedural clarity.
New Delhi: Today, on July 9, the Delhi High Court refused to accept a plea that asked for more public access to the hearings of the Central Information Commission (CIC) under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The case was titled Saurav Das & Ors v CIC, and the petitioners included well-known journalists Saurav Das, Betwa Sharma, Vinita Deshmukh, Kunal Rajnikant Purohit, and Mohit M Rao.
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A Division Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal heard the matter. The judges stated that the petitioners should first go to the CIC with their request and also consider joining an ongoing case in the Supreme Court on the same issue.
The High Court made it clear that it was not the right forum to deal with this matter at this stage.
The journalists had filed the petition because they wanted citizens, including members of the media, to be allowed to attend CIC hearings either in person or virtually, without needing any prior approval or special permission.
According to them, this would help ensure transparency and public accountability in the working of the CIC.
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The petitioners said they had already sent a request to the CIC on July 24, 2024, asking for public access to hearings.
However, they claimed that the CIC did not take any action on their request. As a result, they approached the Delhi High Court seeking directions.
The petitioners argued that since the CIC carries out important judicial functions, it should also follow the same level of transparency it demands from other public authorities.
They also said that in-camera (closed-door) hearings harm public accountability and prevent citizens from properly participating in democratic processes.
During the hearing, the Delhi High Court said:
“Regarding prayer for permitting entry to the general public and journalists physically, we permit the petitioners to represent their cause to the CIC, which shall take an appropriate decision expeditiously.”
The Court also observed that the issue of virtual access to CIC hearings is already being considered by the Supreme Court. It said:
“We are of the opinion that the petitioners shall be better advised to approach the Supreme Court to avoid multiplicity of proceedings.”
In short, the High Court advised the petitioners to make their request directly to the CIC first. If they were not satisfied, they could then approach the Supreme Court, where a similar case is already pending. The High Court then closed the case.
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The plea was filed through Advocates N Sai Vinod, Madhav Aggarwal, and Kanu Garg.
The petitioners strongly believe that allowing the public and journalists to attend CIC hearings will promote openness, ensure better governance, and strengthen democracy by encouraging informed civic participation.
Case Title:
Saurav Das & Ors v CIC
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