The Tamil Nadu State Information Commission has barred a man from filing applications under the Right to Information Act for one year after he sought 1,886 personal details about a former college classmate through 97 applications, according to a report by Dinamalar. The commission also directed the district health department to provide him mental health counselling.
The man, identified as Santhosh from Villupuram district, studied at a college between 2021 and 2024 with the woman concerned. The report said she distanced herself from him because of his behaviour. He allegedly continued contacting her through mobile phone messages and letters, after which she attempted suicide.
Santhosh subsequently submitted 97 RTI applications to the Public Information Officer at the office of the Cuddalore district Superintendent of Police. The applications reportedly included questions about whether the woman was currently in a relationship, how many people she had previously dated, whether she was married and whether she was alive.
Together, the applications contained 1,886 questions. After he did not receive the information, Santhosh appealed to the State Information Commission against the Cuddalore district police superintendent.
The appeal was heard by Information Commissioner V.P.R. Ilamparithi. The commission said the applications had been filed in a manner that undermined the purpose of the RTI Act and created an unnecessary workload for government employees without serving a public interest purpose.
The RTI Act provides a mechanism for citizens to seek information held by public authorities, subject to statutory exemptions and procedural requirements. The commission’s order, as reported, treated the questions about the former classmate’s relationships, marital status and personal circumstances as outside the legitimate purpose of seeking public information from the police department.
The commission directed that none of the information sought by Santhosh be provided. It also imposed a one-year restriction on filing applications under the RTI Act and ordered that mental health counselling be arranged for him through the district health department.
The case places the focus on the limits of using a public information system to pursue private disputes. It also underlines the administrative burden created when public authorities must process large numbers of applications that do not concern the functioning, decisions or records of the state. The report did not provide further details about the implementation date of the restriction or the counselling arrangement.
