The Central Information Commission directed the Supreme Court Public Information Officer (PIO) to disclose the number of corruption complaints filed against Justice T Raja. However, the commission rejected a request to provide details on any actions taken in response to those complaints. The decision balances public interest in transparency with limitations on revealing internal proceedings.
New Delhi: The Central Information Commission (CIC) recently directed the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Supreme Court to provide details on the number of corruption complaints received by the Collegium regarding former Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Justice T Raja.
The order, issued by Chief Information Commissioner Heeralal Samariya on October 7, came in response to an appeal by independent journalist Saurav Das. Das had sought information on whether any corruption or misconduct complaints were filed during Justice Raja’s tenure, the total number of such complaints, and any actions taken.
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While the CIC rejected the request for details on actions taken, it directed the Supreme Court PIO to re-examine the first two aspects and provide the number of complaints, if available in their records.
The order stated,
“The Commission… directs the concerned PIO to re-examine point No. 1 and point No. 2 of the RTI application and furnish the number of complaints, if maintained in their records, or inform the appellant accordingly, within 30 days,”
The Central Information Commission (CIC) declined to order the disclosure of any action taken on complaints against former Acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, Justice T Raja.
The CIC reasoned,
“The Commission is of the considered opinion that the same is personal information of an individual, and the appellant is not even the complainant of the complaint(s); accordingly, the same is exempted from disclosure under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act.”
Journalist Saurav Das, who had filed the Right to Information (RTI) request, expressed his disappointment on X (formerly Twitter), arguing that there should be no secrecy surrounding collegium proceedings.
The CIC’s ruling came in response to a second appeal by Das, following the Supreme Court’s public information officer’s initial refusal to provide the information, citing that no such records were maintained. A first appeal had upheld this decision, leading to Das’ second appeal before the CIC.
While the CIC asked the Supreme Court PIO to re-examine the response and provide details on the number of complaints against Justice Raja, it dismissed the request for information on actions taken. The second appeal was thereby disposed of.
Justice T Raja retired in May last year, with the Supreme Court Collegium’s repeated recommendations to transfer him to the Rajasthan High Court left unaddressed by the Central government. His 2018 ruling had sparked controversy when he stated that a person employed as a scavenger or sweeper must clean toilets and wash clothes, “irrespective of whether it is inner cloth or outer cloth.”