Information Commission slaps Rs 25,000 fine on Kerala Univesity official for ignoring RTI plea

Thiruvananthapuram: The State Information Commission has imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on a  Kerala University official for not responding to pleas seeking information under the RTI Act 2005. P Raghavan, Kerala University joint Registrar faced the action over a complaint filed by Professor Emmanuel Thomas, former head of the Department of Psychology at Kerala University. 

Emmanuel Thomas, who retired on March 2018, was banned from entering the university campus at Karyavattom here, as per an order passed by the university registrar on June 25, 2020.  Emmanuel moved an RTI plea seeking details of this order. However, the concerned officials failed to consider his request. Following this, he approached the State Information Commission.

The then Chief Information Commissioner, Vinson M Paul, who looked into the matter had found major lapses on the part of the university officials. 

Following Vinson Paul’s retirement, State Information Commissioner Dr KL Vivekanandan took up the necessary measures. The commission pointed out that it was a violation of fundamental rights to ban a person from entering the premises of an institution where he was employed.
Raghavan has been directed to pay the fine within a month.