Delhi High Court Upholds Security Concerns Over Disclosure of Modi and Singh's Foreign Travel Details

The Delhi High Court has ruled against disclosing detailed information about foreign visits by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Manmohan Singh, citing potential security risks. The decision overturns a previous order by the Central Information Commission that had sought to make such details public. The case was initiated by a petition from Lokesh K Batra, a former Navy officer and RTI activist, who sought records of the prime ministers' foreign trips on Indian Air Force aircraft. The Indian Air Force opposed the disclosure, arguing that the information was sensitive and could endanger security arrangements. The court agreed, stating that the expenditure of public funds did not warrant the release of potentially compromising details.

Key facts

• Delhi High Court set aside a Central Information Commission order.
• The order directed the Indian Air Force to disclose details of foreign visits by Prime Ministers Modi and Singh.
• The case was initiated by a petition from former Navy officer Lokesh K Batra.
• The Indian Air Force opposed the disclosure, citing security concerns.
• The court ruled that security risks outweighed the public interest in the information.

Sources

• Scroll.in