NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to entertain a petition that sought to declare the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust as a public authority under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The decision comes amid ongoing debates over transparency and the classification of religious trusts with substantial public interest.
The petition, filed by Neeraj Kumar, challenged a Central Information Commission (CIC) order dated July 8, 2022, which refused to disclose information about the Trust’s Chief Public Information Officer (CPIO) and the First Appellate Authority.
Kumar had earlier filed an RTI application with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in July 2022, seeking similar details, but the request was denied. The MHA maintained that the Trust does not fall under the definition of a public authority, arguing it is neither owned, controlled, nor funded by the Government of India.