State Information Commissioner condemned the Public Information Officer, the matter is related to journalists in Banbhulpura case

In the Vanbhoolpura case, the State Information Commissioner has condemned the Public Information Officer for not providing information related to journalists as a sign of faulty action. The Commission has directed the police station in-charge to obtain the information available with the appellant from other police stations, offices and undertakings and provide it within fifteen days.

The State Information Commissioner condemned the Public Information Officer

In the case of riots in Banbhoolpura, senior journalist Trilok Chandra Bhatt, resident of Haridwar, had sought some information from the Senior Superintendent of Police, Nainital. He had sought information about the journalists injured in the attack by the rioters on the journalists who were covering the action of the administrative team that went to remove the encroachment, their damaged vehicles, cameras, mobile phones, FIRs, etc. documentary evidence. The Senior Superintendent of Police sent this letter to the Public Information Officer of Banbhoolpura police station.

But the Public Information Officer did not give any information, saying that the matter was under investigation. After which, senior journalist Trilok Chandra Bhatt filed a first appeal in this matter on April 3 before the departmental appellate officer CO City Haldwani. In the hearing of the first appeal, in front of senior journalist Daya Joshi, who was present as the representative of the appellant, the appeal was disposed of by the appellate officer Nitin Lohani, the area officer, saying that the information belonged to a third party and that it was not possible to provide the information.

The matter is related to journalists in the Vanbhoomipura case

Trilok Chandra Bhatt was not satisfied with the decision of the departmental appellate officer. He approached the Uttarakhand State Information Commission in Dehradun and filed a second appeal here. During the hearing in this case, after listening to both the parties, the Public Information Officer was reprimanded by State Information Commissioner Vipin Chandra. He has directed the Public Information Officer to collect the information from other police stations, offices and undertakings and provide it to the appellant within fifteen days.

During the hearing, the State Information Commissioner has said that if the appellant wants, then he is also free to obtain the information in relation to the request letter under the prescribed system of the court in the context of the order of the Supreme Court. For this, he also cited the system issued by the Supreme Court on the civil appeal of Gujarat High Court vs CIC.