Govt of India denies information on gangster Chhota Rajan's passport under RTI, says it's a "personal" matter

By A Representative
The Union ministry of external affairs (MEA) has rejected the release, under the right to information (RTI) Act, to records relating to the issue of the fake passport of top underworld don Chhota Rajan, whose capture in Indonesia last month was sought to be projected as a major breakthrough by the Government of India.
Upon his arrest in Indonesia, the media reported that he was traveling with a false identity and used a fake passport, which played a key role in his eventual identification by the immigration authorities.
“The MEA invoked Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act to reject the request holding that it was ‘personal information' and also cited a judgment of the Delhi High Court in support of its rejection”, said Venkatesh Nayak, well-known RTI and human rights activist in an email alert.
“In this case the High Court overturned an order of the Central Information Commission to disclose certain information relating to an individual's passport citing absence of public interest”, Nayak, who is with the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), said.
“It is not clear whose privacy MEA is desirous of protecting - the fake individual in whose name the passport was issued or the individual who used the fake passport”, wondered Nayak, adding, “It is also strange that a few months ago the same Government expressed doubts about whether Article 21 of the Constitution was correctly interpreted to include the right to privacy of individuals.”
Argued Nayak, “The very constitutional basis for Section 8(1)(j) as a trump on citizens' right to information has disappeared thanks to the submissions of the Government of India made through the Attorney General of India.”
Nayak said, “The MEA gave a vague reply to the query about the procedures followed to determine the legality and correctness of the procedures followed for issue of fresh passports by Indian missions abroad”, adding, “It only replied with information that is already known about the laws and rules that apply for the issue of passports.”
In yet another application filed by Nayak with CBI seeking a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) filed under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1998 in relation to issue of the fake passport, Nayak said, “More than 30 days have passed since the RTI application was dispatched to the CBI via speed post. The CBI has not bothered to reply.”
This has happened despite the fact that the print and electronic media reported that the fake passport had been issued in the name of a person alleged to be a resident of Karnataka. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is said to have registered a First Information Report against unnamed officials under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and launched an investigation.
Nayak said, all this poses a “challenge” before various constitutional courts, adding, “It is most unfortunate that the Prime Minister's noble commitment to make the Central Government more transparent and accountable to the people has simply not percolated down the bureaucracy.”

Comments

US-China truce temporary, larger trade war between two economies to continue

By Prabir Purkayastha The Trump-Xi meeting in Busan, South Korea on 30 October 2025 may have brought about a temporary relief in the US-China trade war. But unless we see the fine print of the agreement, it is difficult to assess whether this is a temporary truce or the beginning of a real rapprochement between the two nations. The jury is still out on that one and we will wait for a better understanding of what has really been achieved in Busan.

When growth shrinks people: Capitalism and the biological decline of the U.S. population

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Critically acclaimed Hungarian-American economic historian and distinguished scholar of economic anthropometric history, Prof. John Komlos (Professor Emeritus, University of Munich), who pioneered the study of the history of human height and weight, has published an article titled “The Decline in the Physical Stature of the U.S. Population Parallels the Diminution in the Rate of Increase in Life Expectancy” on October 31, 2025, in the forthcoming issue of Social Science & Medicine (SSM) – Population Health, Volume 32, December 2025. The findings of the article present a damning critique of the barbaric nature of capitalism and its detrimental impact on human health, highlighting that the average height of Americans began to decline during the era of free-market capitalism. The study draws on an analysis of 17 surveys from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (...

Mergers and privatisation: The Finance Minister’s misguided banking agenda

By Thomas Franco The Finance Minister has once again revived talk of merging two or three large public sector banks to make them globally competitive. Reports also suggest that the government is considering appointing Managing Directors in public sector banks from the private sector. Both moves would strike at the heart of India’s public banking system . Privatisation undermines the constitutional vision of social and economic justice, and such steps could lead to irreversible damage.

Shrinking settlements, fading schools: The Tibetan exile crisis in India

By Tseten Lhundup* Since the 14th Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, the Tibetan exile community in Dharamsala has established the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) as the guardian of Tibetan culture and identity. Once admired for its democratic governance , educational system , and religious vitality , the exile community now faces an alarming demographic and institutional decline.

Sardar Patel was on Nathuram Godse's hit list: Noted Marathi writer Sadanand More

Sadanand More (right) By A Representative In a surprise revelation, well-known Gujarati journalist Hari Desai has claimed that Nathuram Godse did not just kill Mahatma Gandhi, but also intended to kill Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Citing a voluminous book authored by Sadanand More, “Lokmanya to Mahatma”, Volume II, translated from Marathi into English last year, Desai says, nowadays, there is a lot of talk about conspiracy to kill Gandhi, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, but little is known about how the Sardar was also targeted.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

N-power plant at Mithi Virdi: CRZ nod is arbitrary, without jurisdiction

By Krishnakant* A case-appeal has been filed against the order of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and others granting CRZ clearance for establishment of intake and outfall facility for proposed 6000 MWe Nuclear Power Plant at Mithi Virdi, District Bhavnagar, Gujarat by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) vide order in F 11-23 /2014-IA- III dated March 3, 2015. The case-appeal in the National Green Tribunal at Western Bench at Pune is filed by Shaktisinh Gohil, Sarpanch of Jasapara; Hajabhai Dihora of Mithi Virdi; Jagrutiben Gohil of Jasapara; Krishnakant and Rohit Prajapati activist of the Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a notice to the MoEF&CC, Gujarat Pollution Control Board, Gujarat Coastal Zone Management Authority, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and case is kept for hearing on August 20, 2015. Appeal No. 23 of 2015 (WZ) is filed, a...

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Behind Sarojini Nagar’s glamour: The Hidden lives of its daily wage workers

By Samra Iqbal* In Delhi’s bustling Sarojini Nagar market, what you buy and how much you pay rarely affects the person selling it to you. “Maalik kabhi baitha hi nahi hai” (“the owner never sits”), said Bilal, a daily wage worker who has spent years behind one of the hundreds of stalls that line the market’s narrow lanes.

Search This Blog