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Ravi Kumar vs North Eastern Railway (Gorakhpur) on 1 September, 2021

                                                       CIC/NERLG/A/2019/139543

                                  के   ीय सूचना आयोग
                       Central Information Commission
                             बाबागंगनाथ माग,मुिनरका
                        Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
                           नई द ली, New Delhi - 110067


ि तीय अपील सं या/ Second Appeal No. CIC/NERLG/A/2019/139543

In the matter of:

Ravi Kumar                                                     ... अपीलकता/Appellant
                                        VERSUS
                                         बनाम

CPIO,                                                     ... ितवादीगण /Respondent
Sr. EDP Manager, North Eastern
Railway, Office of the Sr. EDP Manager,
Divisional Office, Lucknow Division,
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

Relevant dates emerging from the appeal:

RTI Application filed on                   :   28.03.2019
CPIO replied on                            :   05.04.2019
First Appeal filed on                      :   17.04.2019
First Appellate Authority order            :   Not on Record
Second Appeal Received on                  :   16.08.2019
Date of Hearing                            :   10.08.2021

The following were present:

Appellant: Shri Ravi Kumar participated in the hearing upon being contacted on
his telephone.

Respondent: Shri Ajay Kumar Singh, ASC, Railway Protection Force participated
in the hearing upon being contacted on his telephone.


                                                                           Page 1 of 6
                                                      CIC/NERLG/A/2019/139543

                                     ORDER

Information sought:

The Appellant filed an RTI Application dated 28.03.2019 seeking information as under:

"िनवेदन है क अिधिनयम क धारा 7 के तहत ाथ को दनांक 11.06.2018 को घाघराघाट और जरवल रोड रे लवे टेशन के बीच ेन से िगरकर ये ग भीर प से घायल ी िसराज अहमद पु व० शौकत अली िनवासी ाम उडैला, पो ट बढौली, थाना कै सरगंज, िजला बहराईच के स ब ध म थाना जी0आर0 पी0/आर0पी0एफ0 पुिलस के ारा क गई कायवाही से स बि धत िन िलिखत द तावेज :- Railway Passengers (Manner of Investigation of Untoward Incidents) रपोट क सूचना उपल ध करायी जाये। साथ ही य द आवेदन प को आपके ारा अ वीकार कया जाता है तो अिधिनयम क धारा 7 (8) के तहत ऐसी अ वीकृ ित का कारण, अपील कये जाने क अविध एव अपीलीय अिधकारी का नाम एवं पता भी सूिचत कर।"

Ms. Jyoti Bhaskar Kairo, Sr. EDP Managar & Nodal PIO, North Eastern Railway, Lucknow vide letter dated 05.04.2019, informed the Appellant as under:

"आपके ारा कया गया िवषयां कत आरटीआई आवेदन ी िसराज अहमद क रे ल दुघटना से स बंिधत है | इस कृ ित के अनेक आरटीआई आवेदन आपके ारा इस कायालय को ेिषत कये गए है | इन आवेदन म आपके ारा िभ -िभ कार के ह ता र का योग कया गया है । इस िवषय म ह ता र क ामािणकता स यािपत करने हेतु आपसे अनेक बार इस कायालय से प ेिषत कया गया पर तु इस िवषय म कायवाही करते ए आपक ओर से कोई भी उ र इस कायालय को ा नह हआ है | अतः आपको पुनः सूिचत कया जाता है क उपयु कायवाहीय के अभाव म आपका वतमान आवेदन िनर त कया जाता है एवं जब तक आप संद भत प /प 2 पर उठाये गए बंदु पर प ता नह देते तब तक भिव य म भी समान कृ ित के आवेदन पर कोई िवचार नह कया जा सके गा।"

Being dissatisfied, the appellant filed a First Appeal dated 17.04.2019, which has not been adjudicated by the First Appellate Authority as per available record.

CIC/NERLG/A/2019/139543 Grounds for Second Appeal:

The Appellant filed a Second Appeal u/s 19 of the Act on the ground of unsatisfactory reply furnished by the Respondent. He requested the Commission to direct the CPIO to provide complete information sought for and take appropriate legal action against the Respondent.

Submissions made by Appellant and Respondent during Hearing:

In order to ensure social distancing and prevent the spread of the pandemic, COVID-19, the instant hearing is being scheduled through audio conference after informing both the parties.

The Appellant stated that he is an Advocate, practicing majorly before the Railway Tribunal. He further stated that Shri Siraj Ahmed is his client. He furthermore stated that he is not satisfied with the reply provided by the Respondent. Upon being queried by the Commission as to whether the Appellant has obtained authority letter/no-objection certificate from Shri Siraj Ahmed, he replied in affirmative.

The Respondent reiterated the contents of the written submission dated 04.08.2021.

At the instance of the Commission as to whether the Appellant desires to inspect the relevant records as sought in the instant RTI Application, he replied in affirmative. However, the Respondent made a remark that the Appellant has sought information pertaining to a third party and that the averred information can be provided to the Appellant during the inspection only if the Appellant produces/submits an authority letter/no-objection certificate from the concerned third party.

CIC/NERLG/A/2019/139543 A written submission has been received by the Commission from the Sr. Divisional Security Commissioner, Railway Protection Force, Lucknow vide letter dated 04.08.2021, wherein the Commission has been apprised as under:

Decision:

Upon perusal of the facts on record as well as on the basis of the proceedings during the hearing, the Commission observes that the Appellant is an Advocate who is representing Shri Siraj Ahmed. The Commission further observes that the Page 4 of 6 CIC/NERLG/A/2019/139543 Appellant has also uploaded a copy of the no-objection certificate signed by Shri Siraj Ahmed dated 25.03.2019.

However, since the Appellant has agreed to inspect the relevant records, the Commission deems it fit to direct the present CPIO to facilitate inspection of relevant documents/records as sought in the instant RTI Application on a mutually decided date and time duly intimated to the Appellant both telephonically and by post. Copy of documents, if desired, should be provided to the Appellant free of cost up to 25 pages, and beyond those, prescribed fees shall be charged as per the RTI Rules, 2012. The CPIO is further directed that he shall ensure that any personal information/identifying particulars of a third party apart from Shri Siraj Ahmed should be adequately redacted/blackened out. The said direction should be complied with, by the CPIO within 60 days from the date of receipt of this order and a compliance report of the same be duly sent to the Commission, enumerating the details of documents inspected and copy of documents provided. With the above observations, the instant Second Appeal is disposed of. Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.

The Appeal, hereby, stands disposed of.

Amita Pandove (अिमता पांडव) Information Commissioner (सूचना आयु ) दनांक / Date: 01.09.2021 Authenticated true copy (अिभ मािणत स यािपत ित) B. S. Kasana (बी. एस. कसाना) Dy. Registrar (उप-पंजीयक) 011-26105027 Page 5 of 6 CIC/NERLG/A/2019/139543 Addresses of the parties:

1. The First Appellate Authority (FAA) ADRM, North Eastern Railway, Divisional Railway Manager's Office Divisional Office, Lucknow Division, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

2. The Central Public Information Officer, Sr. EDP Manager, North Eastern Railway, Office of the Sr. EDP Manager, Divisional Office, Lucknow Division, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh

3. Shri Ravi Kumar Page 6 of 6