CIC show cause to BHU registrar on denying student access

Varanasi, July 14 (UNI) The Central Information Commission (CIC) has issued a show cause notice to the Registrar of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) -- Asia's biggest university -- for allegedly denying a student access to the inquiry report on the death of a fellow student at the varsity hospital in January 2005.

The CIC's order issued on July 7 instructs BHU Registrar Natarajan Sunderam to make available a copy of inquiry report to the appellant within 15 days and report compliance to CIC within 21 days.

The CIC has also directed Mr Sunderam to be present personally at the time of next hearing in the matter on August 9 to explain his case.

This order shall also be deemed to be a notice under section 20(1) of the RTI Act to the BHU registrar to show cause within 30 days of the issue of this order as to why the penalties envisaged in this section be not imposed upon him.

BHU student Yogesh Roy died at Sir Sunderlal Hospital on January 11, 2005. The students, alleging he died due to the negligence of doctors on duty, had gone on rampage on the varsity campus.

The then Vice-Chancellor, P Ramachandra Rao appointed a fact finding committee headed by Harikesh Singh. The inquiry report was submitted by the committee on March 31, 2005.

When a BHU student, Dhananjay Tripathi, applied for access to the inquiry report under the RTI Act in November last, he was denied the same. Tripathi received the reply 86 days after the date of his application and 56 days after the expiry of the statutory period of 30 days.

The CIC admitted Tripathi's appeal against the BHU reply and issued directions to the Registrar to produce all documents related to the matter by June 26 and fixed the hearing on June 30. The information commissioner O P Kejariwal heard the matter in the presence of Registrar and the appellant Dhananjay Tripathi.

In its ruling the CIC observed that the registrar not only accepted the delay in giving a reply to the appellant, but also tried to apportion the blame to the Public Information Officer.

UNI ARS VS RP KN1620