Docs relating to Shastris death cannot be disclosed: PMO

The PMO has turned down the plea for making public the only document pertaining to the mysterious death of ex-PM Lal Bahadur Shastri in Tashkent in 1966.

The Prime Ministers Office has turned down the plea for making public the only document pertaining to the mysterious death of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in Tashkent in 1966.

The PMO has,however,specified no reason for its non- disclosure while citing the confidentiality clause under the RTI Act.

The case relating to disclosure of records pertaining to the death of Shastri will now come up in appeal before the Central Information Commission,which will take a decision on the confidentiality issue.

Earlier,the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO),while rejecting an RTI application relating to Shastris death,had accepted that the PMO has one document on it but turned down the plea to make it public,citing the confidentiality clause under the Act.

The RTI applicant Anuj Dhar,author of a book,CIAs Eye on South Asia,had then filed an appeal with the First Appellate Authority in PMO against the decision of the CPIO.

I appreciate the point made by you in favour of transparency. However,on perusal of document in question and after giving the matter a careful consideration,I am satisfied that exemption sought under Section 8 (1)(a) has been invoked rightly, Vini Mahajan,Joint Secretary in PMO said while rejecting the appeal.

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