Special Branch manual contains confidential info, can't be disclosed under RTI Act: Delhi HC

Delhi High Court rules Special Branch manual contains confidential info, which can’t be given under RTI Act

The Delhi High Court has held that details of the Special Branch manual, which contains sensitive and confidential information, cannot be brought into public domain under the Right To Information (RTI) Act.

The High Court said disclosing such information will not only compromise the functioning of the Special Branch of Delhi Police, but could also jeopardise ongoing and future investigations, adding that it falls within the scope of 'exempted information' under the RTI Act.

Justice Sanjeev Narula dismissed a petition seeking to provide under RTI the certified copy of the complete Special Branch manual with all annexures/latest rulings/notifications on passport verification as on February 3, 2016.

“In the opinion of the court, the details contained in the Special Branch Manual, by virtue of their confidential nature, cannot be brought into public domain.”

"Such procedures, while operational in nature, may also reveal tactical insights into how law enforcement agencies function in sensitive areas, and their disclosure could compromise the integrity of such processes," the High Court said.

The Court also noted that given the confidential nature of these procedures, it was of the view that the reliance placed by the Special Branch of Delhi Police on Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act, while denying the information sought, was "justified".

"Disclosing such information will not only compromise the functioning of the Special Branch, but could also jeopardise ongoing and future investigations. Thus, the decision of the CIC to exempt the disclosure of this classified information under the RTI Act is well-founded and justified," it said.