Privacy of travel information under RTI Act upheld by Delhi HC
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New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has confirmed that, in accordance with the Right to Information Act, 2005, travel-related information is considered personal data and cannot be shared with third parties without a compelling public interest.
Judge Subramonium Prasad reaffirmed this principle while rejecting a request from death row inmate Ehtesham Qutubuddin Siddiqui, who was seeking witness travel details in the Mumbai twin bomb case.
Siddiqui's request for information on a witness's travel from Mumbai to Hong Kong was denied by the Central Information Commission (CIC) and the Bureau of Immigration, citing exemptions under the RTI Act.
The CIC ruled that disclosing third-party information fell under Section 8(1)(j) of the Act, which protects personal privacy.
Justice Prasad upheld the CIC's decision, stating that it was not unreasonable to withhold third-party information. He said that Siddiqui is open to seeking the information through appropriate legal channels, such as Section 391 of the CrPC if it was not part of the criminal court record.
With inputs from IANS