Jamia should make information public: Court

Reminding Jamia Millia Islamia that it is a public institution and hence open to public scrutiny under the RTI Act,the Delhi High Court on Tuesday upheld an order directing the central university to make public information about a land deal in Ghaffar Manzil in Okhla.

Justice Vipin Sanghi upheld a directive of the Central Information Commission (CIC) in June,whereby the transparency panel had asked the university to provide to applicant Mohammad Ikramudin,“copies of the agreement or settlement between Jamia and Abdul Sattar in Ghaffar Manzil land.”

Jamia had filed an appeal against the CIC verdict contending that disclosure of the title documents was exempted from disclosure under the immunity clause of the RTI Act and further that the information sought was an invasion of the privacy of the institution.

Jamia’s counsel also argued that the documents if landed in wrong hands could be highly prejudicial to the cause of the institution and misused.

The court however held that no public authority could call any information available with it as “personal” information.