Allahabad High Court imposes ₹6.7 lakh costs on RTI misuse

This collection summarizes nine Right to Information (RTI) rulings from August 2026 issued by various High Courts in India. It covers questions regarding the scope of public authority obligations, the status of private documents, and the consequences of misusing the RTI Act.

The rulings concern public authorities such as local bodies, the Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC), and general government offices. The applicants involved include RTI petitioners, activists, and litigants who filed applications or appeals, some of whom were blacklisted by the Karnataka Information Commission.

• Public authorities are not obliged to collect information from private bodies to fulfill RTI requests.
• Private documents stored in public offices do not automatically become public documents when obtained via RTI.
• Approved building plans by local bodies are not considered 'personal information' and can be disclosed.
• Non-supply of RTI information after election results is not a 'corrupt practice' under the Representation of the People Act.
• Communications from competent authorities prevail over information received via RTI if unrebutted.
• RTI applicants cannot be accompanied by a third party to inspect records if they are not conversant with the language or content.
• Filing thousands of applications or appeals may be flagged as 'misuse' of the RTI Act.

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