Delhi HC Refuses Plea to Declare Ram Janmabhoomi Trust a Public Authority

The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to entertain a petition seeking to categorize the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust as a public authority under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The petition, filed by Neeraj Kumar, contested the Central Information Commission’s (CIC) July 8, 2022, decision, which denied disclosing details about the Chief Public Information Officer (CPIO) and the First Appellate Authority of the Trust. Kumar had also filed an RTI request with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in July 2022, seeking similar information.

However, the MHA rejected the request, asserting that the Trust is neither owned, controlled, nor financed by the Government of India and thus does not qualify as a public authority.

Represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, Kumar urged the Delhi High Court to overturn the CIC’s decision.

A bench led by Justice Sanjeev Narula heard the matter, with Senior Advocate Chetan Sharma (ASG) and Advocate Nishant Gautam (CHSC) arguing on behalf of the MHA and the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust. They contended that the Trust operates autonomously and should not be classified as a public authority.

After deliberating on the arguments, the court refrained from intervening and disposed of the petition. It directed the petitioner and respondents to present their case before the CIC for further consideration.

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