The Delhi High Court has said that the information about money laundering, hawala transactions, acts of tax evasion and smuggling do not relate to corruption or human rights violations and, thus cannot be questioned to the intelligence and security organizations which are not bound to provide such information under Right to Information Act (RTI Act).
Justice Prathiba M Singh has set aside the Central Information Commission order which directs (CIC) directing the Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) for providing the outcome of the complaint made by the RTI applicant named GS Srinivasan.
The Court reiterated that the CEIB is exempted from Section 24(1)Schedule II of the RTI Act and to provide details in the case is contrary to law.
The Court said that perusal of the complaint and the RTI Application shows that the same relate to information relating to money laundering business, hawala money transactions, acts of tax evasion and smuggling activities.
The Court said that as these are neither nor human rights violations.so they cannot be covered by the exception under the proviso to Section 24(1)
The Court was hearing a petition by the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), CEIB challenging an order dated July 3, 2020 passed by the CIC.
In his complaint Srinivasan had made a wrote to CEIB on May 15, 2017 seeking information on alleged money laundering, hawala money transactions, smuggling and tax evasion by some individuals. under RTI application seeking information about the status of his complaint and action on the same.
The CEIB refused to impart any information. While the CIC also held that details of the investigation cannot be provided, it ordered the agency to consider providing only the outcome of the complaint.
The court after hearing the matter allowed CEIB’s plea and set aside the finding and direction of the CIC.
No one appeared for the respondents.