📈 Court Dismisses People’s Bank Appeal on RTI Transparency

The Court of Appeal has upheld a directive by the Right to Information Commission (RTIC), ordering People’s Bank to release internal audit and inquiry reports to a customer. The ruling reinforces the constitutional right to information over internal bank secrecy. • The Ruling: A two-judge bench dismissed the bank's appeal against a 2022 RTIC decision. The Court ruled that requested documents regarding a partnership’s accounts (2007–2019) did not fall under legal exemptions. • Key Legal Precedents: • Third-Party Privacy: The Court rejected the bank's "third-party" privacy claim, noting the requester was the managing partner of the entity in question—thus not a third party. • Section 6 (Severability): The judgment emphasized that even if sensitive data exists, banks must redact (sever) specific details rather than withholding entire reports. • Fiduciary Duty: Arguments citing breach of fiduciary duties were dismissed as the disclosure related to an inquiry into the requester's own complaint. • Impact on Banking: This sets a significant transparency benchmark for state-owned banks, confirming they are "public authorities" accountable under the RTI Act. It limits the use of "confidentiality" as a blanket shield against disclosing information related to the use of public resources or internal inquiries.