Full Breakdown
Delhi High Court Blocks Disclosure of Prime Ministers' Flight Records
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
The Delhi High Court set aside a Central Information Commission (CIC) order that had directed the Indian Air Force (IAF) to release “Part II Special Flight Returns” (SFR-II) documenting foreign trips of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Justice Amit Mahajan ruled on October 15 that even redacted manifests could reveal security details and jeopardise the Prime Minister’s safety, allowing the IAF to invoke RT-I exemptions under Sections 8(1)(a) and 8(1)(g).
Background & Context
Retired Commodore Lokesh K Batra filed an RT-I request on June 5 2018 seeking flight records from April 1 2013 onward. The IAF replied on July 10 2018, providing limited data on Modi’s trips between May 26 2014 and June 6 2016, and stating that Singh made no IAF-borne trips between April 1 2013 and May 25 2014. After Batra’s first appeal was dismissed on September 20 2018, the CIC issued a fresh directive on July 8 2020 ordering the IAF to furnish certified copies of the SFR-II. The IAF contested, arguing that the records contain aircraft, crew, passenger, and Special Protection Group details whose aggregation with public information could expose security personnel, reveal the Prime Minister’s entourage, and suggest deployment patterns.
Official Statements & Responses
The IAF maintained that redacting only the names of security staff would not eliminate the risk of compromising protective arrangements, citing the presence of designations, identification numbers, and flight references. The court found no larger public interest outweighing the potential harm.
Verbatim Quotes
“The mere fact that public funds have been expended on the foreign visits of the PM does not, by itself, justify disclosure of information which may compromise the security arrangements put in place for such visits.” — Justice Mahajan