MANIK GOYAL Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Seeking quashing of FIR bearing No.67 dtd. 12/12/2025 registered under Ss. 353(1), 353(2) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 at Police Station Cyber Crime, Police Commissionerate Ludhiana City alongwith all the consequential proceedings arising therefrom qua the petitioners and for staying of further proceedings/operations, the instant petition has been filed.

(2.) Learned Senior counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners inter-alia contends that petitioner No.1-Manik Goyal, is a Law student and a committed RTI activist; petitioner No.2-Baljinder Singh @ Mintu Gurusaria, is a Journalist, satirist and analyst; petitioner No.3-Maninderjeet Singh, is the owner and Editor of Lok Awas Television and is a seasoned Journalist and Investigative Reporter and petitioner No.4-Mandeep Singh Makkar, is a law graduate and a Journalist.

(3.) He contends that petitioner No.1 had sought information under the RTI Act with respect to the expenditure incurred by the Government of Punjab on chartering /hiring of jets, aeroplanes and helicopters since March 2022, including details such as the dates of travel, destinations, names of the persons who undertook such travel etc. The said application was however rejected by the authorities invoking Sec. 24 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 on the ground that the information sought pertained to the security of the dignitaries. The same was thus withheld. It is further contended that the information sought does not fall within the ambit of Sec. 24 of the Act, however, notwithstanding the same, information regarding the use and movement of helicopters is otherwise available in the public domain on the website "FlightRadar24", where such details can be accessed by entering the registration number of the helicopter, which establishes that the information sought is not personal or protected and is already available for public knowledge, on public platform.