Delhi HC seeks Centre's response on statistical information on e-surveillance under RTI Act

The Delhi High court on Tuesday sought a response from authorities including the central government on a petition seeking disclosure of statistical information on state-sponsored electronic surveillance under the Right to Information Act.

Justice Yashwant Varma directed the respondents to file a response on the merit of the petition moved by Apar Gupta within two weeks

Now the matter has been listed for November 9, 2022 for further hearing.

The petition has challenged the order passed by the Central Information Commissioner (CIC) on the second appeal filed by petitioner Apar Gupta.

It has been stated that the CIC while deciding the second appeal accepted the belated and insubstantial claim of the government authorities that the information sought had been destroyed and accordingly did not exist.

The petitioner is a lawyer and co-founder and Executive Director of the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) who filed six RTI applications in December 2018 seeking details of the number of orders passed under Section 69 of the Information Technology Act, between January 2016 to December 2018 granting permission for electronic surveillance.

This information was denied by the Cyber Security Unit of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Then the petitioner moved an appeal against the order. Finally, the CIC also accepted the claim of the government.

( With inputs from ANI )