HC stays CIC order to disclose fees paid to ASG Sanjay Jain

The Delhi High Court today put on hold an order by the Central Information Commission (CIC) directing the Centre to disclose payments made to Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain on the bills raised by him.
Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva stayed the November 1, 2016, order of the commission on the plea by the litigation department of the government which claimed before the court that the information directed to be provided also included details of the ASG's appointment and his curriculum vitae, after removing personal information.
The court also issued notice to Harkrishan Das Nijhawan, who had sought the information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, and sought his reply before the next date of hearing on April 29, 2017.

The litigation department contended in its plea that the information directed to be provided was privileged and personal information.
It also argued before the court that all bills are paid after due verification and scrutiny by the accounts department and added even otherwise the information sought was exempted from disclosure under the RTI Act.
The CIC while ordering disclosure of the fees paid to the ASG, had said that the ASG representing the State cannot be equated with a private lawyer of a private client.