Calcutta HC seeks centre's explanation on Netaji files

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the central government to give its reasons for declining to declassify secret files on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

The order by ae bench of Justice A. K. Banerjee and Justice Shivakant Prasad came while hearing a public interest litigation demanding declassification of secret documents on the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Bose and a judicial review on whether the documents should remain secret in public interest.

"The court today (on Thursday) expressed its displeasure over the Union of India's failure to implement Central Information Commission's 2007 order directing making public of secret documents on Netaji," said petitioner's counsel Krishnendu Bhattacharya.

"The central government has been directed to explain its stand on the issue within two weeks," he added.

The petition was filed in 2014 by Kolkata-based NGO India's Smile and has the central government, the National Advisory Council, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Intelligence Bureau, private secretary to the Prime Minister, defence secretary, the home affairs department and West Bengal government among others as respondents.

The petition was filed after repeated attempts to seek information about the files under the Right to Information Act was denied by various government departments including the Prime Minister's Office.

A host of Netaji's descendants, enthusiasts and historians and organisations has been campaigning for declassification of secret files claimed to be in the possession of the central and West Bengal governments.