New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday stayed an order of Central Information Commission (CIC) asking RBI to provide copies of its inspection reports about a bank to an information seeker under the transparency law. Justice Vipin Sanghi also issued a notice to information seeker Jayantilal Mistry and stayed the operation of CIC's order asking Reserve Bank of India to reveal inspection reports of Makarpura Industrial Estate Cooperative Bank Ltd under the Right to Information Act. The court's order came on a plea of RBI filed against the direction of CIC saying a single bench of the transparency panel cannot disregard the order passed by its full bench. Senior advocate T R Andhyarujina, appearing for RBI, said the CIC order was passed "erroneously" since it was against the decision of its own full bench which had held that RBI was entitled to seek exemption from disclosure of inspection reports under the RTI if it was satisfied that such revelation would adversely affect the economic interests of the nation. He said, "If the wisdom of (Information) Commissioner finds the finding of the full bench was wrong, he should have referred the matter to the full bench." Seeking setting aside of the order, he said the CIC's order has widespread ramifications for the banking system and that it was also against the interests of cooperative bank concerned. He submitted the disclosure of inspection reports of RBI as part of its statutory duty would lessen faith of public in the banks and the banking system. Mistry had sought copies of inspection reports of last 20 years of the co-operative bank. The information seeker had also sought the names of persons who had inspected the records and details of action, if any, taken against it. Justice Sanghi, however, questioned RBI's counsel asto "why should the citizen not know that whether a bank they are banking with was in a healthy or unhealthy (state)." Andhyarujina responded by saying it was considered by the full bench of CIC while holding that RBI could claim exemption from disclosure of inspection reports. The information sought by Mistry was denied by the CPIO. However, a single bench of the commission had directed RBI to provide the information sought by the applicant by November 30. The Indian Banks Association had also sought to be heard in the matter, but was asked by the court to file its response. The court listed the matter for further hearing on February 13.
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