The Karnataka High Court has held that Bengaluru's prominent Century Club falls within the scope of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, holding it accountable to disclose information under the law. The ruling stems from a 1913 land grant by the then Maharaja of Mysuru, who allotted 7.5 crores of prime land near Cubbon Park to the club.
The court said it qualifies as a "public authority" under the RTI Act, owing to the land grant it received from the then Maharaja of Mysuru in 1913 and that the club is bound to provide information under the RTI Act.
In the judgment, Justice Suraj Govindaraj dismissed the club's plea challenging a directive issued by the Karnataka Information Commission. The court observed that the grant of 7.5 acres of prime land abutting Cubbon Park constitutes substantial financial support from the State. This, the court said, brings the club within the ambit of the RTI Act.
"The grant of land on which the petitioner club is located amounts to substantial financing by the State, made by the then Maharaja of Mysuru, thereby attracting the provisions of the RTI Act," Justice Govindaraj stated in his order, the court noted, according to news agency PTI, reinforcing the club’s obligation to comply with the RTI framework.
The court pointed out that the club's entire existence is tied to the land granted in 1913, with all its facilities and benefits accessible only through physical presence on the premises.
"Without this land, the club's very functioning would be questionable," the order said.
The court also dismissed the club's argument that it operates solely through contributions from its members. It observed that regardless of its funding model, the club's reliance on the land is absolute. "If the current market value of the land is considered, the contribution from members is negligible in comparison," the court noted.
The case traces back to 2012, when Advocate S Umapathy had filed an RTI application seeking specific records under Section 4 of the Act. The club declined the request, claiming it was not a public authority.
Umapathy then approached the Karnataka Information Commission, which in 2018 ordered the club to furnish the information. The club challenged this order in court.
During the hearing, the club argued that the land was a personal grant from the Maharaja, who was also the Patron-in-Chief of the club, and not an act of state funding.
The court rejected this line of reasoning, stating that no evidence was presented to prove the land belonged personally to the Maharaja. "The land was part of the Kingdom of Mysore's holdings, and thus the grant was a governmental act," the court ruled.
Concluding that the club received a significant and state-backed benefit foundational to its existence, the High Court upheld the Information Commission's decision and directed the club to comply with the RTI request.
With inputs from PTI
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