The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a long-pending petition seeking to bring the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) within the definition of a “public authority” under the Right to Information Act, 2005.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma dismissed the petition filed by lawyer Shanmuga Patro, noting that the petitioner had failed to appear before the Court on several previous dates.
The petition challenged the Central Information Commission’s 2010 decision refusing to treat the Foundation as a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act.
The petitioner had argued that RGF’s public activities, government-related benefits and use of premises in New Delhi justified its inclusion under the transparency law. He also relied on the Foundation’s connection with public initiatives and various government concessions.
The CIC had earlier held that RGF was not owned or controlled by the government and was not substantially financed by it.
The High Court ultimately dismissed the petition. The Court also took note of the petitioner’s repeated absence from the proceedings.
Accordingly, the petition seeking to declare the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation a public authority under the RTI Act was dismissed.
