We filed six RTI applications in December 2018 seeking statistical data regarding the surveillance orders under Section 69 of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The information was, at first, denied on grounds of national security. Thereafter, on appeal, when the matter was remanded back, the information was denied on a new ground that records were destroyed as per ‘extant’ provisions (without providing the provision). We appealed this order in August 2021 before the Chief Information Commission (‘CIC’) but we did not get a hearing because of heavy pendency. We approached the Delhi High Court to expedite the process. On December 2nd, 2021, Justice Yashwant Varma of the Delhi High Court directed CIC to decide our appeals within 8 weeks. Sr. Advocate Trideep Pais appeared on behalf of the Petitioner.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://internetfreedom.in/dhc-directs-cic-to-decide-iffs-appeals-within-8-weeks/