📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Harvinder Chandigarh
Politics
Punjab HC Stays Information Commission Order Declaring Inquiry Officer a Public Authority
✍️ drugscontrol.org
🗓 26 Aug 2026, 06:33 PM
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The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a stay on the Punjab Information Commission’s order that classified the Inquiry Officer as a public authority under the Right to Information Act.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has placed a stay on the Punjab Information Commission's recent order that sought to label the Inquiry Officer as a public authority under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The bench issued the stay, thereby suspending the commission's directive pending further judicial review.
The commission had earlier ruled that the Inquiry Officer fell within the definition of a public authority, which would subject the officer's functions and records to disclosure requirements mandated by the RTI Act. This interpretation was intended to enhance transparency in the officer's duties.
By staying the order, the High Court has temporarily halted the application of the RTI provisions to the Inquiry Officer. Legal observers note that the matter will continue to be examined in subsequent hearings, and the final outcome will determine whether the officer will be treated as a public authority for RTI purposes.
The commission had earlier ruled that the Inquiry Officer fell within the definition of a public authority, which would subject the officer's functions and records to disclosure requirements mandated by the RTI Act. This interpretation was intended to enhance transparency in the officer's duties.
By staying the order, the High Court has temporarily halted the application of the RTI provisions to the Inquiry Officer. Legal observers note that the matter will continue to be examined in subsequent hearings, and the final outcome will determine whether the officer will be treated as a public authority for RTI purposes.