Activist deboarding: MHA avoids queries; transfers case to IB

Refusing to share information on a purported list of people who are not allowed to travel abroad, the Home Ministry has transferred the whole issue to Intelligence Bureau -- an exempted organisation under RTI Act -- virtually shutting the doors on such queries.
The ministry even did not provide information held by it which include the provision under which such people are "off loaded" at the time of boarding the flight and whether any complaints have been received by it.
After several instances of people like Priya Pillai of Greenpeace and noted Shia scholar Kalbe Jawwad being deboarded from their flights without being given any prior notice, an RTI applicant had sought to know under what law these citizens are not allowed to travel abroad.

He also sought to know if there is a list of Indian nationals who are not allowed to fly abroad, and if so on whose orders the list is prepared, whether the people named in the list are intimated that they cannot fly abroad.
The applicant also wanted to know under what law, offloaded is written on the passport of the person being not allowed to fly.
After receiving the RTI application, the Home Ministry said the matter is closely related with the working of Intelligence Bureau.

The Bureau of Immigration which comes under the Intelligence Bureau had deboarded Pillai from her flight to London where she was to address British MPs.

The Home Ministry had last year directed the freezing of Greenpeace India's foreign funds over its alleged activities against corporates engaged in coal mining.
Greenpeace India has challenged the order in Delhi High Court which has today directed the government to unblock foreign funds to the tune of Rs 1.87 crore received by it.