KOCHI: State Chief Information Commissioner Sibi Mathews has slapped a fine of Rs 3,000 on M A Mohammed, sub-inspector of the Puthencruz police station, for not providing adequate information to an applicant under the Right to Information Act.
The Commissioner also directed the SI to submit an explanation within 30 days for not initiating further action on the application.
The petition against the SI was filed before the Commission by Shiju V Paulose of Thiruvankalam.
Shiju in his application, filed under the RTI Act, had sought information on the action taken by the Puthencruz police on illegal mining, including the status of cases, registration number of the seized vehicles, action taken against one Saji K Elias for illegal mining and copy of document intimating the Puthencruz police about a police assault against the petitioner.
In his reply to the applicant, the SI stated there was no practice of registering criminal case against illegal mining, and that no action was taken against the person mentioned in the application. The SI in his reply stated that ‘no intimation was received’.
The Commissioner in the order observed that the SI’s reply that ‘no intimation was received’ was incomplete, hence not acceptable.