Central Information Commission
Ashish Choudhary vs Noida Special Economic Zone on 12 February, 2026
केन्द्रीय सूचना आयोग
Central Information Commission
बाबा गंगनाथ मागग, मुननरका
Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
नई निल्ली, New Delhi - 110067
File No: CIC/NSEZO/A/2024/648075
Ashish Choudhary
.....अपीलकर्ाग /Appellant
VERSUS
बनाम
CPIO : Office of the Development ....प्रनर्वािीगण /Respondent
Commissioner, Jaipur Special
Economic Zone, CFC Building, Sitapura
Road, Jaipur - 302022, Rajasthan.
Date of Hearing : 11-02-2026
Date of Decision : 11-02-2026
INFORMATION COMMISSIONER : Khushwant Singh Sethi
Relevant facts emerging from appeal:
RTI application filed on : 15-05-2024
CPIO replied on : 13-06-2024
First appeal filed on : 02-07-2024
First Appellate Authority's order : 02-08-2024
2nd Appeal dated : 30-10-2024
CIC/NSEZO/A/2024/648075 Page 1 of 6
Information sought:
1. The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 15-05-2024 seeking the following information:
"01. Please provide the number of active units/manufacturing companies in Jaipur Special Economic Zone.
02. Please provide the detailed procedure for importing any material from any foreign company to a unit situated at SEZ.
03. Please provide the details of any misdeclaration detected by Indian customs in the import/ Bill of Entry of any unit/company of both zones in the last five years (i.e. from FY 2018-19 to 2023-24). Please provide the details of any such case, including the name of the SEZ unit, the name of a foreign company, and the Bill of Entry number.
04. Please provide the details of steps are taken by customs of JSEZ or any SEZ authority after the detection of any such above-mentioned case. Please provide the action taken report of each of such case.
05. Please provide the details of steps were taken by customs of JSEZ or any SEZ authority against the sender/sender company of such above-mentioned miss declared import parcel received at JSEZ and detected by Customs (such as banning of such foreign senders/sender companies or put any penalties on them)
06. Please provide the details if any inquiry started in the above-mentioned cases against the previous import parcels/Bill of Entries received at JSEZ by any SEZ unit from the same Foreign Company by Customs of Any SEZ authority in the last five years (i.e. from FY 2018-19 to 2023-24). If yes, then please provide case-wise details."
2. The CPIO of DDC furnished a reply to the Appellant on 13-06-2024 stating as under:
CIC/NSEZO/A/2024/648075 Page 2 of 6"POINT No. 1. वर्गमान में, SEZ-1 में 30 इकाइयों के पास वैध अनुमोिन पत्र है और SEZ-।। में 81 इकाइयों के पास वैध अनुमोिन पत्र है।
क्रमांक संख्या 2 से 6 र्क की चाही गयी सूचनाएं नननिग ष्ट अनधकारी, जेएसईजेड, जयपुर कायागलय से संबंनधर् है अर्ः सूचना का अनधकार अनधननयम 2005 धारा 6 की उपधारा (3) के र्हर् अन्य सीपीआईओ अथागर् नननिग ष्ट अनधकारी, जेएसईजेड, जयपुर को उपरोक्त आरटीआई आवेिन का हस्ांर्रण नकया जा रहा है।"
3. Being dissatisfied, the Appellant filed a First Appeal dated 02-07-2024. The FAA vide its order dated 02-08-2024, upheld the reply given by the CPIO.
4. Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied, Appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal.
Relevant Facts emerged during Hearing:
The following were present:-
Appellant: Attended the hearing through video conference. Respondent: Mr. Noman Hafiz, CPIO & Dy. Development Commissioner, attended the hearing in person.
5. The Appellant stated that he sought information regarding steps taken by customs of JSEZ or any SEZ authority after the detection of any misdeclaration detected by Indian customs in the import/ Bill of Entry in the last 05 years. The CIC/NSEZO/A/2024/648075 Page 3 of 6 appellant also submitted that he has requested for this information to compare and contrast his case with reference to the earlier cases and punishment/penalty imposed therein.
6. The Respondent submitted that the cases pertaining to misdeclarations etc. take several years' time to conclude as some of them also involve court proceedings, and all such cases are at various stages of investigation. Hence, the sought information was denied U/s 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act. The respondent further submitted that the sought information is exempted U/s 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, since the same pertains to personal information relating to third-parties.
7. The Commission queried the respondent as to whether there are any standard rules or operating manual or guidelines governing the mechanism/procedure to handle the misdeclaration. To this, the respondent submitted that they are governed by customs rules. The Commission queried the respondent to confirm, if the said rules specifically deal with the sought information against misdeclaration detected by Indian customs in the import/ Bill of Entry, steps taken, action taken, prescribed penalties like blacklisting the erring companies, fine imposed on erring companies etc. To this, the respondent submitted that the rules are full and complete.
8. The Commission queried the appellant whether the said rules would be sufficient for his comparison. To this, the appellant agreed in affirmative, that it would serve his purpose.
CIC/NSEZO/A/2024/648075 Page 4 of 6Decision:
9. The Commission, after adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case, hearing both the parties and perusal of the records, observes that the respondent gave an appropriate reply to the appellant. Also, during the hearing, the respondent claimed exemption U/s 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, 2005 for denying information in points no. 3 to 6. During the hearing the respondent submitted that they are willing to provide the rules/operating manual governing the mechanism/procedure to handle the misdeclaration to the appellant, free of cost. Hence, the respondent is directed to provide copy of the aforesaid rules/operating manual to the appellant, both by speed post and e-mail (e-mail id - as mentioned in RTI Application dated 15.05.2024), within 15 days from the date of receipt of this order under intimation to the Commission - both through post and via uploading on http://dsscic.nic.in/online-link-paper- compliance/add. Accordingly, the appeal is disposed of.
Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.
(Khushwant Singh Sethi) (खुशवन्त स िंह ेठी) Information Commissioner ( ूचना आयुक्त) निनां क/Date: 11.02.2026 Authenticated true copy S. K. Chitkara (एस. के. नचटकारा) Dy. Registrar (उप-पंजीयक) 011-26107026 CIC/NSEZO/A/2024/648075 Page 5 of 6 Copy To:
1. The CPIO Office of the Development Commissioner, Jaipur Special Economic Zone, CFC Building, Sitapura Road, Jaipur - 302022, Rajasthan.
2. The FAA, Office of the Development Commissioner, Jaipur Special Economic Zone, CFC Building, Sitapura Road, Jaipur - 302022, Rajasthan.
3. Ashish Choudhary CIC/NSEZO/A/2024/648075 Page 6 of 6 Recomendation(s) to PA under section 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005:-
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