KAMAL BHASIN Vs. RADHA KRISHNA MATHUR AND ANR.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner has filed the present petition, inter alia, impugning an order dated 05.04.2016 (hereafter 'the impugned order') passed by the Central Information Commission (CIC), whereby the petitioner's second appeal preferred under section 19(3) of the Right To Information Act, 2005 (hereafter 'the Act') against the order dated 13.03.2014 passed by the First Appellate Authority (hereafter 'FAA'), was rejected. By the said order dated 13.03.2014, the FAA had in turn rejected the petitioner's appeal against denial of information by the CPIO.

(2.) The petitioner and several other persons including PFC Officers Association had filed complaints against Sh Satnam Singh, who was then Chairman-cum-Managing Director of M/s Power Finance Corporation Ltd (hereafter 'PFC'). The petitioner sought certain information relating to the manner in which the complaints were dealt with and action taken on the complaints made. His request was denied on the ground that disclosure of such information was exempted by virtue of Section 8(1)(j) of the Act. The petitioner being aggrieved by the non-disclosure of the information has filed the present petition. Although, the petitioner has also sought information regarding notings in the file etc., the petitioner has restricted his request only for the information regarding the action taken on the complaints. Thus, the limited controversy involved in the present petition is whether the information regarding action taken pursuant to complaints can be denied to the complainant under Section 8(1)(j) of the Act.

(3.) Briefly stated, the relevant facts necessary to address the present controversy are as under:-