Madras High Court was hearing a plea filed by the public information officer and official trustee of a public trust against an order of the state information commission, directing disclosure of the financial records of the trust.
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NewsLegal’We are not dictatorship’: Madras High Court upholds citizens’ right to know under RTI
‘We are not dictatorship’: Madras High Court upholds citizens’ right to know under RTI
The Madras High Court was hearing a plea filed by the public information officer and official trustee of a public trust against an order of the state information commission, directing disclosure of the financial records of the trust.
Written by: Vineet Upadhyay
7 min read
New Delhi
Jun 29, 2026 01:30 PM IST
Democracy RTI Dictatorship Madras High Court Official Trustee
Right to information (RTI) is an integral part of right to know, the Madras High Court said. (Image generated using AI)
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Observing that India is “not a dictatorship” where public authorities can keep citizens in the dark, the Madras High Court has ordered the disclosure of the financial records of a public charitable trust under the Right to Information Act (RTI), ruling that a sweeping claim of fiduciary privilege cannot defeat transparency in the functioning of statutory authorities.
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Justice V Lakshminarayanan was hearing a writ petition filed by the Public Information Officer-cum-Administrator General and Official Trustee of Tamil Nadu against an order of the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission (TNSIC), which had directed disclosure of the balance sheets, audit reports, immovable property register, and demand, collection, and arrears records of the V Thiruvengadathan Chetty Charities.
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