Tamil Nadu Government Exempts Police Department From RTI Act

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has issued a notification exempting the Police Department from the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. As a result, the public will no longer be able to obtain information related to the police department.

The order was issued citing the police department’s critical importance to security. The Human Resources Management Department issued the order through a gazette notification dated September 21. Earlier, the Intelligence Wing and the Q Branch in Tamil Nadu had been exempted from the purview of the RTI Act. The latest move completely exempts the Police Department from the Act.

The move will prevent the public from accessing information related to offences such as custodial deaths. The government has argued that the exemption is intended to protect the state’s internal security and confidential police operations.

However, the notification has drawn strong criticism.