CIC Orders Disclosure in Army Officer's Mysterious Death Inquiry

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has mandated the Army and Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to release the results of a Court of Inquiry into the death of an Army officer, honoring an appeal by the officer's father. This decision invokes the human rights exception, overriding the usual confidentiality protections of the BRO under the RTI Act.

The appeal was initiated by Santosh Kumar Mishra, father of the late Captain Abhishek Mishra, who passed away in a road accident during his service with the BRO. Mr. Mishra's initial requests for inquiry findings were rejected, with officials citing them as third-party material. However, the CIC emphasized that the information relates directly to human rights concerns.

Highlighting the CIC's stance, the Commission has historically held that next of kin are entitled to access inquiry records regarding the death of an officer. Mr. Mishra has suggested potential corruption linked to his son's death, and the CIC instructed officials to disclose relevant portions of the inquiry, especially those related to service conditions affecting the officer's death.