KOCHI: The High Court will pronounce the judgment on a petition filed by film producer Sajimon Parayil challenging the State Information Commission’s (SIC) order to disclose substantial portions of the Justice Hema Committee report on August 13. Justice V G Arun also allowed the applications filed by Kerala State Women’s Commission and Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) seeking to release the report.
When the case came up for hearing, counsel for the petitioner argued that most of the statements in the report were given by persons, who were assured that their identities would not be revealed. Those persons should be heard before imposing Section 10 of the RTI Act on severability.
Opposing the submissions, M Ajay, counsel for the SIC, said that it has redacted all third-party information and will not disclose any information in this regard. The Committee considered the issues of women in the film industry, their security, etc. and not personal issues. He pointed out that initially, the petition came before a Division Bench, which noted that the petitioner, a film producer, had a private interest in the matter, unlike a Public Interest Litigation. The petitioner should show his standing to file the petition, but it was not done. “This is like a blind man shooting in the dark hoping to hit some target,” said the SIC counsel.
Ajay also said that the RTI applicants don’t want the messy gruesome details but want to see the substantial portions of the report. There is a larger public interest and crores of rupees were spent on this committee to study the situation of women in the film industry and come up with suggestions to improve it. The SIC has ordered the removal of all personal information, and names, and excluded all indications which may conclude a name from the report.
The Kerala State Women’s Commission submitted that the report addresses a comprehensive issue for the benefit of women. If the report is not published, there is no purpose served, hence the report has to be published.
The WCC submitted that the bona fide of the petitions is highly suspicious.
The state government submitted that the petition is not maintainable and he has no locus standi to file the petition, hence it should be dismissed.
Women’s panels come out in support
If the report is not published, there is no purpose served, says Women’s Commission
WCC says that the bona fide of the petitions is highly suspicious
