The case was brought forward by Udayveer Singh, a resident of Roorkee, who had requested the CCTV recordings from the Haridwar office between 10 am and 3 pm on May 25
Uttarakhand State Information Commissioner Yogesh Bhatt recently emphasised that CCTV footage falls under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and cannot be denied to an applicant unless it poses a threat to national security or sovereignty.
In a ruling on a specific case, Bhatt imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on Poonam Saini, the public information officer of the district supply office in Haridwar, for not providing requested CCTV footage. The case was brought forward by Udayveer Singh, a resident of Roorkee, who had requested the CCTV recordings from the Haridwar office between 10 am and 3 pm on May 25.
Poonam Saini had denied the request, citing Section 8(1)(g) of the RTI Act, which she argued exempted her from providing the information. However, Bhatt clarified that the refusal was unjustified without preserving the footage first. He stated, “The video footage sought should be separately preserved before refusal to furnish information citing Section (8) of the RTI…There is no justification for refusing to hand over the footage under the RTI to the applicant without preserving it.”
Bhatt further explained that CCTV footage is an electronic record accessible in digital format and should be made available unless it endangers the state’s sovereignty, security, or personal safety. He reiterated, “CCTV footage constitutes an electronic record accessible in digital format, and as such, cannot be denied upon request unless it poses a threat to the sovereignty, security, or personal safety of the state.”
This ruling underscores the importance of transparency and accountability in public offices and reinforces that RTI applicants are entitled to access electronic records like CCTV footage, provided it does not compromise national interests.
