Ex-corporators seek right to pursue RTI

Mumbai: Eight former corporators of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) have filed a criminal writ petition in the Bombay high court seeking quashing of complaints registered against them by the Thane police commissioner at the behest of the corporation and its commissioner. The corporators have alleged that the complaint lodged against them was aimed at discouraging them from seeking information under Right To Information (RTI) Act about unauthorised and illegal construction being carried on in the municipal limits of the corporation.  

According to the petition filed by Sanjay Ghadigaonkar and seven others, all of who were former corporators in TMC, a complaint was lodged against them by the Thane police as they had been seeking information under RTI. The petition has alleged that they had been discouraged by the corporation from seeking the information, but when it did not deter them, the police complaints were lodged. The complaint has alleged that the corporators were misusing the RTI Act for vested interests.

The petition also points to the fact that in the recent session of the Vidhan Sabha, the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had clarified that there was no restriction on anyone from seeking information under RTI and they cannot be prosecuted for seeking the information, but the corporation had not heeded the same but had lodged complaints with the police against them.

The petition while seeking an early hearing has also prayed for restraining orders against the police from taking any action against them as well as quashing of the complaints. The petition is expected to come up for hearing in due course.