Secretariat refuses to give CCTV footage
The Secretariat of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has refused to provide the CCTV footage capturing the assault on assistant police inspector Sachin Suryavanshi by the MLAs on March 19 this year. The refusal came in the wake of an RTI query filed by RTI activist Anil Galgali.
Section officer of the Maharashtra Legislative secretariat and public information officer Umesh Shinde, in his reply furnished on June 25, had said that the CCTV footage was inside the Assembly premises and the disclosure of the same would amount to the breach of privileges and contempt of Assembly. According to him, under Section 8(1) (C)(H) of the RTI Act, 2005, which deals with the privilege and contempt of the Assembly, the CCTV footage cannot be provided.
Giving another reason for not disclosing the CCTV footage, Mr Shinde had said that a cognisable offence had already been registered with the Marine Drive police in connection with the assault on Suryavanshi, and investigation was underway. However, Mr Galgali said, “Since the chargesheet has already been filed, the CCTV footage would not impede the process of investigation or apprehension or prosecution of the offenders.”
Ex-central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi also said, “Providing or not providing the CCTV footage is the right of the Assembly, but the excuses are not logical.”
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