Block out personal details of victims; Central Information Commission found a novel way to protect rape victims’ ID

NEW DELHI: The Central Information Commission, the final appellate authority for RTI Act, has found a novel way to allow disclosure of rape cases records — ask woman representatives of the applicant to go through the records and use a whitener to block out personal details of victims and then sign a non-disclosure agreement to ensure that details are not leaked out.

The order was passed by Information Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu in response to an RTI appeal filed by Baladevan Rangaraju, who sought information on rape cases being referred to Delhi Commission for Women (DCW). Rangaraju had contended that he needed the information for research purposes but was denied by DCW.

Acharyulu said in his order that rape records should be made public by using the severability clause provided in RTI Act. This clause allows divulging records by severing parts that are prohibited from disclosure under different provisions, in this case by severing parts revealing the identities of victims and the accused. He said that DCW would provide photocopies of all records to woman representatives of the applicant. These representatives would not be allowed to carry any electronic recording device. They would peruse the records and then using a whitener blank out parts revealing the identities of the victims.

After that each paper would be verified by the public authority to ensure that identities are not being revealed. The manner in which the Information Commissioner has sought to divulge records has been questioned by activists.