High Court Upholds Penalty on PIO for Withholding CCTV Footage and Disregarding RTI Commission Directions.
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Case: YOGESH FATARPEKAR v. STATE OF GOA THR. CHIEF SECRETARY AND 2 ORS.
Court: Bombay High Court
Date: 25-06-2026
Law: Right to Information Act.
Highlights of the Judgment:
- Examination of the penal provisions under Section 20(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, for non-compliance.
- Interpretation of the personal information exemption under Section 8(1)(j) regarding CCTV footage of public offices.
- Analysis of the Public Information Officer's duty to adhere to statutory timelines and procedural mandates.
- Judicial review of the State Information Commission's authority to impose financial penalties and order inquiries.
- Assessment of the accountability of public authorities in responding to statutory show-cause notices.
- Clarification on the non-exempt status of recordings pertaining to official meetings held in public chambers.