THE RTI RELAY: HOW THE DoPT PORTAL AND CIC FACILITATE ADMINISTRATIVE SABOTAGE

The "Criminal Design" of the 25-Day Transfer

The RTI Act, 2005, was designed to empower the citizen, but the "Competent Authorities" have engineered a way to turn it into a dead-end street. In a case involving the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Assam Rifles, a "Criminal Relay" has been uncovered that exposes the rot within our transparency infrastructure.

The Verifiable Evidence: A Chronology of Sabotage

For the benefit of the informed citizenry, the following data points provide the evidence of the "Black Hole" transfer:

  1. The Parent Application: MHOME/R/E/26/01995 was filed with the MHA. Internal tracking on 08.04.2026 confirmed that the Ministry had identified and relayed the requested records internally. They were the legal custodians under Section 2(f).
  2. The Statutory Violation: Instead of disclosure, the MHA sat on the request for 25 days, violating the 5-day mandatory limit in Section 6(3).
  3. The Transferred Entity: On the 25th day (13.04.2026), the MHA executed a "Physical Transfer," resulting in the new reference number: ASRIF/R/T/26/00080.
  4. The "Black Hole": By transferring the request to an exempt body (Assam Rifles) and an "Unnamed Authority," the MHA intentionally murdered the citizen's right to file a First Appeal. You cannot appeal to a ghost.

The Accomplices: DoPT and the CIC

This sabotage requires the active participation of the institutions meant to protect the Act:

1. The DoPT Portal: Algorithmic Sabotage The DoPT’s RTI Online Portal is programmed to facilitate lawbreaking. The portal allowed MHOME/R/E/26/01995 to be converted into ASRIF/R/T/26/00080 on the 25th day, ignoring the 5-day statutory limit. This gives corrupt officials a "buffer zone" to hide sensitive documents once they realize the records implicate a murder fugitive.

2. The CIC: Institutional Shielding When this illegal relay was challenged in Complaint Diary No. 624309/2026, the Central Information Commission (CIC) failed its mandatory duty. By refusing to issue a Mandatory Summons to the originating Joint Secretary (Police-II) of the MHA, the CIC shields the "Master of the Relay."

The New Jurisprudence: The Right to Appeal the Transferor

We must now establish a fundamental procedural standard: A Public Authority cannot transfer away its liability for breaking the law. If the MHA held the request past the 5-day limit, it must remain the venue for the First Appeal. A citizen should not be forced to chase a "transferred" ghost when the statutory crime of delay was committed by the Original PA.

Conclusion

The Manipur State judgment (2011) is currently being used as a license for fraud. If the State abolishes the path to Section 19 by hiding the recipient of a transfer, then Section 18 must act as the "Emergency Room" for information.

"When the gate of Section 19 is locked by Administrative Fraud, the window of Section 18 must be the hammer of Justice."

Fact-Sheet for Public Verification:

  • Original RTI No: MHOME/R/E/26/01995
  • Transferred RTI No: ASRIF/R/T/26/00080
  • CIC Complaint Diary: 624309 (Filed April 2026)
  • Key Respondent: Joint Secretary (Police-II), Ministry of Home Affairs
  • Legal Focus: Breach of Section 6(3) and the First Proviso of Section 24(1).

 

 

 

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