Chandigarh: Punjab government’s Home Department as well as the intelligence wing have categorically denied the possession of a secret report that was said to be submitted by former IPS officer Shashi Kant.
It is said that Shashi Kant had prepared a report, during his tenure in Punjab police, in which he had disclosed names of various Punjab politicians who were allegedly involved in illicit drugs trade in Punjab.
Denying an appeal by RTI activist Dr. Sandeep Kumar Gupta, the Punjab State Information Commission reportedly asked that when such a report was not available with any of the branches of Home Department and Intelligence Wing, then how a copy of that report could be provided to the appellant? With this the bench based on Punjab’s chief information commissioner S. S. Channi and state information commissioner Parveen Kumar disposed off appeal filed by Dr. Sandeep Kumar Gupta through his council Sardavinder Goyal.
Shashi Kant, former DGP (Prisons) Punjab [File Photo]
It may be recalled here that the RTI petition was moved by Hisar resident Dr. Sandeep Kumar Gupta in May 2013. The state information commission had denied information on Sashi Kant’s report last year, after which petitioner had moved to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
When High Court directed the state information commission to review it’s order denying RTI petition with in 3 months, the commission resumed hearing on Sandeep Kumar Gupta’s RTI appeal.
The commission reportedly issued notices to Punjab’s Home Department, DGP office and Intelligence Wing to provide a copy of the said report, but all departments reported said that that the no such report was in their possession.
In it’s recent order the state information commission said that it can not provide information which is not available with the relevant departments of the state government.