RTI Cannot Be Used To Harass Employees or Disclose Third Party Data: P&H High Court

The Punjab & Haryana High Court ruled that the RTI Act cannot be used to harass employees or obtain third-party information.

A lawyer had filed an RTI request seeking details on the Cooperative Society’s sale and the auction of molasses, bagasse, and press mud. The court clarified that the RTI Act restricts the sharing of confidential third-party information under Rule 8.

Citing CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay, the court stressed that the Act protects confidential and fiduciary relationships. As a result, it set aside the State Information Commission’s order.