V.Rajkumar v. The Secretary

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED : 07.12.2023

CORAM

THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE P.D. AUDIKESAVALU V.Rajkumar ... Petitioner -vs1. The Secretary to the Government of Tamil Nadu, Department of Revenue, Fort St. George, Chennai.

2. Tamil Nadu Information Commission, Represented by its State Information Commissioner, Block No. 19, Government Farm Village, Saidapet, Chennai - 600 015.

3. The Chief Public Information Officer, Sholinganallur Taluk, Sholinganallur Taluk Office, Chennai - 600 119.

4. The Public Information Officer, Deputy Tahsildar Head Quarters, Taluk Office, Sholinganallur, Kancheepuram District.

5. The Collector, Office of District Collector, Kancheepuram District.

6. The Tahsildar, Tambaram.

... Respondents 1/5

Prayer:- Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, 1950, praying to issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the Fourth Respondent in coordination with the Fifth and Sixth Respondents to comply with all the directions of the Second Respondent vide order dated 16.02.2022 bearing No. NC 914/INVESTIGATION/E/2019 SA 4684/E/2018 by providing all information and documents as per RTI Application dated 20.11.2017 within a time stipulated by this Court and consequently direct the First Respondent herein to initiate departmental action against concerned officials holding the office of the Fourth to Sixth Respondents herein at relevant point in time for deliberately withholding public documents sought for by the Petitioner and file a status report before this Court within the time stipulated by this Court. For Petitioner :

Ms. T.Saveetha for Mr. J.Ravikumar For Respondents :

Mr. U.Baranidharan, Additional Government Pleader (for R1, R3 to R6) Mr. C.Vigneswaran (for R2)

O R D E R

Heard Ms. T.Savetha, Learned Counsel appearing for the Petitioner, Mr. U.Baranidharan, Learned Additional Government Pleader appearing for the First and Third to Sixth Respondents and Mr. C.Vigneswaran, Learned Counsel for the Second Respondent and perused the materials placed on record, apart from the pleadings of the parties.

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2.

The grievance ventilated by the Petitioner is that despite the Second Respondent in the order dated 16.02.2022 in Case No. NC 914/ INVESTIGATION/E /2019 SA 4684/E/2018 directing the information sought by the Petitioner to be furnished, the Fourth Respondent has not complied with the same, which entails initiation of departmental action against the concerned officials, who were holding the office of the Fourth to Sixth Respondent at the relevant point of time. In that backdrop, the Petitioner has filed this Writ Petition.

3.

Since it has represented that the required information as sought by the Petitioner has been furnished subsequently, and Learned Counsel for the Petitioner has made an endorsement to that effect in the court record, nothing remains for further consideration in the Writ Petition. In the result, the Writ Petition is disposed. No costs. 07.12.2023 Index: Yes/No NCC: Yes/No Note: Issue order copy by 14.02.2024.

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To

1. The Secretary to the Government of Tamil Nadu, Department of Revenue, Fort St. George, Chennai.

2. The State Information Commissioner, Tamil Nadu Information Commission, Block No. 19, Government Farm Village, Saidapet, Chennai - 600 015.

3. The Chief Public Information Officer, Sholinganallur Taluk, Sholinganallur Taluk Office, Chennai - 600 119.

4. The Public Information Officer, Deputy Tahsildar Head Quarters, Taluk Office, Sholinganallur, Kancheepuram District.

5. The Collector, Office of District Collector, Kancheepuram District.

6. The Tahsildar, Tambaram.

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P.D. AUDIKESAVALU, J.

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