Description
SEBI Appellate Authority partially allows RTI appeal regarding complaint status information while rejecting queries seeking clarification and opinion.
Summary
SEBI’s Appellate Authority partially allowed Appeal No. 6511 of 2025 filed by Santosh regarding an RTI application. The Authority directed reconsideration of queries about complaint status and action taken, while rejecting queries seeking clarification and opinion as not falling under RTI Act definition of ‘information’.
Key Points
- Original RTI application filed on July 14, 2025 seeking information about email complaint dated July 9, 2025
- CPIO initially rejected all queries as seeking clarification/opinion rather than information
- Appellate Authority partially allowed appeal for queries 1 and 5 regarding complaint status
- Queries 2, 3, and 4 rejected as seeking clarification/opinion, not information under RTI Act
- Cited precedent from Rajesh Kumar Sharma vs. CPIO case establishing right to know action taken on complaints
Regulatory Changes
No regulatory changes introduced. This is a procedural RTI appeal decision clarifying information access rights.
Compliance Requirements
- CPIO required to reconsider and provide information on complaint status and action taken (queries 1 and 5)
- Information seekers must frame RTI queries as seeking ‘information’ rather than clarification or opinion
Important Dates
- July 14, 2025: Original RTI application filed
- August 5, 2025: CPIO response and appeal filing
- August 22, 2025: Appellate Authority order issued
Impact Assessment
Minimal market impact. This procedural decision affects individual information access rights under RTI Act and establishes precedent for complaint-related information requests to SEBI.
Impact Justification
Procedural RTI appeal with limited market impact, affects individual information access rights