Vijay Govt Revokes RTI Exemption for Law and Order Dept After Backlash

Tamil Nadu government has issued a new order cancelling the earlier order to exempt the Public (Law and Order) Department from the Right to Information (RTI) Act on Sunday, after the order received considerable backlash from the Opposition and media. The exemption order was issued on the ground that the Public (Law and Order) Department is an Intelligence and Security Organisation.

The Department, which deals with, among other matters, police custodial deaths, custodial torture, and the deaths of remand prisoners, was classified as an Intelligence and Security Organisation as per the Gazette notification under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act made by the state government.