Madras High Court dismisses PIL challenging appointment of State CIC

CHENNAI: Madras High Court today dismissed a PIL challenging appointment of the state Chief Information Commissioner for reportedly violating a section of the RTI Act, which mandates that the Leader of the Opposition be consulted before it is done.

A division bench comprising justices T S Sivagnanam and G Chokkalingam before which the PIL came up, asked the petitioner, journalist V Anbazhagan what was the need to file a separate PIL when a similar matter was pending before the court.

To this the petitioner said he was challenging only the appointment of former DGP K Rajagopalan as state CIC.

The bench said the Government Order was passed for the purpose of appointment of three members-- one CIC and other two ICs.

It then asked the petitioner to implead himself in a similar petition pending adjudication and dismissed the PIL after the petitioner withdrew it.

The journalist had challenged Ramanujam's appointment as CIC without reportedly consulting the opposition leader Vijayakant, contending that it violated Section 15(3) of the RTI Act.

The petitioner said the Act clearly states that appointment of CIC must be in consonance with the every known concept of transparency and openness and "therefore the entire process of selection was grossly illegal and void."

He sought quashing of the CIC's appointment as being arbitrary and illegal.