A three bench Central Information Commission (CIC), repeatedly questioned the representatives of the20 MPs whose IT returns were asked for under RTI, on how disclosing of their IT returns was not in larger public interest. The public information officers who denied the information stating lack of larger public interest and the representatives of MPs/ MLAs were invited for the hearing. While the appeal concerned 20 MPs / MLAs, the CPIOs / representatives of only 10 respondents appeared for the hearing to present their cases.
Of the 20 MPs whose IT returns were asked for under RTI, the details of only 3 MPs (Baju Ban Ryan (MP from Tripura East constituency of Tripura), Shafiqur Rahman Barq (MP from Sambhal constituency of Uttar Pradesh)and Usha Verma (MP from Hardoi constituency of Uttar Pradesh )were made available by the Public Information Officers (PIO). The IT returns of others MPs were denied under various sections, like 8(1)(j), 8(1)(d), 11(1) and 11(3) of the RTI Act. The RTIs of 7 MPs were transferred but lost in transit hence no information was available.