Cops' intelligence unit activities out of RTI Act ambit: Raj CIC

Rajasthan Information Commission has denied information on withdrawal of the state security cover to former BJP leader and Sanganer MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari saying the subjects linked to the state police's intelligence unit are exempted from the RTI Act.

Dismissing separate appeals by Tiwari and his son, a bench of Chief Information Commissioner Suresh Chaudhary and Information Commissioner Ashutosh Sharma said that intelligence unit of the police and its activities does not fall within the ambit of the Right to Information Act.

Accordingly, the Police Department's decision against providing requisite information is right, the bench said.

Tiwari and his family members were provided security cover by erstwhile Congress government but the present BJP government had withdrawn the facility after review of threat perception to the state-protectees by the police in 2015.

The MLA had alleged that the security was withdrawn due to his differences with Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and had filed RTI applications with Jaipur and Sikar police seeking details and documents pertaining to the decision of security withdrawal.

The police had denied information following which Tiwari and his son Ashish Tiwari had filed second appeal with the State Information Commission.

The Commission in its recent order observed that the counsel for Tiwari failed to establish how their human rights were compromised on the security withdrawal.

After a festering discord with the Chief Minister, Tiwari had resigned from the BJP last month and formed a new political party.