CIC Directs AMU to Pay Penalty of Rs 5000 for Harassing Information Seeker

In the present case, the CIC vide its order dt. 30 June 2008 had granted a compensation of Rs 5000/- to the Dr Tariq Islam, Appellant, for the unnecessary harassment and not taking RTI Act in a serious manner.

However, the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) filed a review petition before the commission to review the order of compensation. In the review petition, the respondent’s only submission was that in order to provide the desired information to the Appellant, the officials of AMU had to search almost 100 files.

However, the CIC did not find any merit in it and therefore dismissed it citing that procedural difficulties of a Public Authority cannot be a legitimate ground for the harassment of a information seeker.

The Commission, therefore directed the Registrar, AMU, to pay the compensation of Rs 5000/- to Dr Tariq Islam (Appellant) and that it should be done by 10 March 2009.