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Disclose identity of callers if needed, says info panel

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has said identity of anonymous callers should be disclosed if public interest is at stake.

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The Central Information Commission (CIC) has said identity of anonymous callers should be disclosed if public interest is at stake.

The order was given on the premise that “right to privacy is sacrosanct” but “not an absolute right”.

The decision came on an appeal filed by one Hari Shankar Gupta, resident of Kanpur. Exercising his Right to Information, Gupta from Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) had sought the identity of a caller who made two anonymous calls to him one late night.

He provided BSNL with the numbers from which he got those calls. However, the state telecom company denied providing the information stating that “it impinges on the privacy of the caller”. Gupta then approached the CIC.

“Considerations of safety, security and convenience of the called party are relevant considerations,” information commissioner ML Sharma said.

“The caller had made two calls to the appellant at midnight. These calls may impinge on the appellant’s security. In any case, these unwanted calls caused nuisance. In the circumstances, we are of the opinion that it will be in the larger public interest to disclose the requested information,” Sharma added.

“The order of the CPIO (Central Public Information Officer) is set aside and he is hereby directed to disclose the identity and address of the caller,” the information commissioner directed.

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