MADURAI: Lawyers and litigants in the country shall have to continue to grope in the dark on the Supreme Court’s stand on establishing its bench outside the national capital or its location. For, the Chief Information Commission (CIC) has ruled that the apex court’s view need not be disclosed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act to avert a political controversy.
Over two years ago, the full bench of the Supreme Court had met to discuss about a demand from a section of the lawyers and litigants to set up a bench of the apex court outside New Delhi on the lines of some high courts such as the Madras High Court having a bench outside their respective State capitals.
However, what transpired during the meeting remains shrouded in secrecy to this day.
Madurai-based lawyer Rajiv Rufus, whose queries under the RTI Act failed to elicit the required response from the Supreme Court, moved the CIC hoping that it would lift the veil on the issue. However, the CIC comprising information commissioners M A Khan Yusufi, Manjula Prasher and Vijai Sharma, endorsed the Supreme Court’s decision not to disclose the information.
The CIC bench said: “We find force in the arguments of the respondent (Additional Registrar of Supreme Court / Chief Public Information Officer) that the information sought, if disclosed at this stage, could lead to needless controversy of a political nature, which should best be avoided taking into account the need for efficient functioning of the Supreme Court. It is felt that the disclosure of this sensitive information could arouse regional feelings leading to law and order problems.”
Rufus wanted the copy of the minutes of the full bench meeting of the apex court and the communication sent to and by the Chief Justice of India and to the Parliamentary Standing Committee relating to the setting up of the bench outside New Delhi.