[HumJanenge] SIC order imposing penalty under RTI stayed

http://www.lawetalnews.com/NewsDetail.asp?newsid=2582

Justice Bhushan Dharmadhikari, at the High Court here, has issued
notice before admission to the respondents in a petition challenging
the imposition of penalty on one Arvind Kumar Chauhan for having
failed to provide information to a citizen seeking information under
the Right to Information Act (RTI Act). The High Court while issuing
notice has also stayed the impugned order passed by Vilas Patil, the
State Information Officer, Nagpur, dated July 15, imposing penaly on
the petitioner subject to the petitioner depositing Rs 1,000 at the
High Court.

The petition has been filed against the State Information
Commissioner, Nagpur, CEO, Zilla Parishad, Gadchiroli, R.N. Puram,
Appellate Officer and B.D.O., Panchayat Samiti and KB Gumfawar, the
Public Information Officer and Section Officer at the said Panchayat
Samiti. Earlier while allowing two appeals filed by aggrieved citizen
- Muneshwar Borkar, state information officer had imposed penalty for
not providing information sought under the Act. The commission had
imposed a penalty of Rs. 6,000 to be deducted from the salary of the
petitioner at the rate of Rs. 1,000/- per month. In his defense, the
petitioner pleaded that he was not responsible for not providing the
information sought by the appellant. The petitioner also challenged
the decision by stating that he was not party in the case and that no
hearing was given to him before imposing the penalty and that the
State Information Commissioner did not follow the procedure provided
for in the Right to Information Act, 2005. Advocate ND Thombre
appeared for the petitioner.