This Way Or That: TRAI Must Provide Information Under RTI If Telecom Company Refuses, Rules Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has ruled that Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has to provide data on phone tapping under Right To Information (RTI) act even if the Telecom Company refuses, Economic Times has reported. The ruling is likely to be challenged in the Supreme Court.

The court gave this decision in a case filed by the Supreme Court lawyer Kabir Shankar when his service provider refused to disclose whether his phone was tapped or not. He also sought to know the person behind the phone tapping if it had occurred.

Vodafone had refused to provide information under RTI since it was not a public authority. The lawyer had gone to the Central Information Commission (CIC) when the company refused information. On 12 September, CIC had asked the TRAI to provide the information. TRAI had argued that the information sought was not a part of its records. Further, TRAI had added that it was not required to provide the information under any laws.

TRAI has said that disclosure of all sorts of information which are unrelated to the transparent functioning of the organisation would be counterproductive. It also argued that the employees of public authorities should not burdened with the task of furnishing information at the cost of their regular functions.