NEW DELHI: Delhi high court has set aside a Central Information Commission order directing the Indian Air Force to disclose flight records pertaining to foreign visits undertaken by PM Narendra Modi and former PM Manmohan Singh, stating such disclosure could compromise national security and the PM’s safety.Allowing a petition by the Central Public Information Officer of Directorate of Personal Services, Air Headquarters, Justice Amit Mahajan held the IAF was justified in denying access to the records under section 8 of RTI that exempts disclosure of information that could jeopardise national security or pose a risk to a person’s life and physical safety.The high court said CIC erred in directing disclosure of Special Flight Returns (SFR-II) after redaction of the names and particulars of security personnel, observing removing such details would not necessarily eliminate the potential security risks.The RTI plea was filed by retired Commodore Lokesh K Batra in 2018, seeking information about foreign visits by Indian PMs on IAF aircraft from April 1, 2013, until the date of his application.In response, the IAF provided certain information about Modi’s foreign travels, and stated there had been no travel by ex-PM Singh on IAF aircraft during the period from April 1, 2013 to May 25, 2014. However, it refused to disclose copies of the SFR, Part-I and Part-II, citing national security concerns and the confidential nature of the records.Batra approached CIC, which directed the IAF on July 8, 2020, to provide certified copies of available and relevant SFR-II records to the applicant.The IAF challenged the CIC order, contending the records contained sensitive information that could potentially enable the identification of security personnel, reveal the composition of PM’s entourage and allow inferences to be drawn about patterns of security deployment.
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Justice Mahajan said, “The mere fact that public funds have been expended on the foreign visits of the PM does not, by itself, justify disclosure of information which may compromise the security arrangements put in place for such visits.”
