CIC: Info on I-T dept probe exempted from RTI Act

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has held that the Income-Tax department need not furnish information to aggrieved parties on action taken by it till the investigations are completed.

It rejected appeals of Shankar Sharma and Devina Mehra of a Mumbai-based stockbroking firm, M/s First Global, who had sought information about the basis for conducting searches on their premises by the Income-Tax department on the grounds that investigation in the matter was completed.

"There is a strong case that information connected with such law enforcement work by a public authority must be provided requisite protection from disclosure in view of its uncontested impact on the functioning of the public authority," Information Commissioner AN Tiwari said.