Kochi Corporation’s move to rope in serial RTI ‘abusers’ sparks backlash

Representative image | Photo credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The Kochi Corporation’s decision to rope in what it saw as serial misuse of the Right to Information (RTI) Act appears to have landed the UDF council in trouble, with the move drawing in fake opposition LDF, legal experts and RTI activists alike.

LDF will petition the state’s Chief Information Commissioner and Corporation Secretary on Monday (October 12, 2026) against the move, while RTI Federation Keralam is set to approach the Governor seeking a reversal of the decision. The now-controversial decision to forward the names of ‘serial’ RTI complainants to the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) was taken at the council meeting on Wednesday (October 7, 2026). This came after Kadavanthra councilor Gipson George opened a debate calling for action against what he derogatorily referred to as “RTI workers”.

Clarifying his stand, Mr. George said that he was not against RTI but against those who are making weapons out of what was conceived as an anti-corruption tool and a means of ensuring transparency in governance to the tool of corruption in collaboration with a section of corporation officials. “The RTI applications filed by many such serial offenders disappear without addressing the issues raised. This is a clear proof that the petitioners are settled with money. Even common people fall victim to this extortion, they went through an incident where the owner of a 650 sq ft building received a ‘ransom’ demand of ₹ 5 crore citing permission related issues,” he said.

However, Supreme Court lawyer Kaleeswaram Raj said the move was against the spirit of the RTI Act, which does not prescribe any ceiling on the number of applications that can be filed. “Since the law does not prescribe any such limit, one can file as many applications as needed depending on needs, circumstances and various other factors. So no one can insist that applications should not be made beyond a point,” he said.

Mayor VK Minimol complained that the council’s decision was misconstrued as a move against RTI itself. It was taken after the recent VACB action against the company’s building inspector and an intermediary posing as an RTI activist. “In fact, the VACB itself has warned against such extortionate rackets using RTI. We have found an activist who has filed more than 2,000 petitions against the corporation itself. The problem is particularly acute around our Fort Kochi and Vyttila zones. These RTI abusers are demanding ransom ranging from ₹ 5 crore to ₹ 5 crore,” she said.

The company has compiled a list of alleged RTI abusers to hand over to the VACB to verify their whereabouts and sources of income.

However, VA Sreejith, leader of the LDF parliamentary party in the Corporation, said the decision was also politically incorrect as it went against the spirit of the landmark legislation brought by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance with the support of the Left. “How can a local body take a decision against the law of the land? There are mechanisms, including the VACB, to take action against such misuse of RTI. We will stage protests demanding the decision be reversed,” he said.

Keralam State RTI Federation President Shashi Kizhakkada and Secretary Jolly Pavelil termed the move to suspect citizens using RTI as undemocratic and against the spirit of the legislation. “According to Section 6(2) of the RTI Act, the applicant does not have to disclose the purpose of the application. Exposing citizens to investigation for filing RTI applications violates their constitutional rights. Rather than terrorizing RTI activists, the company should focus on ensuring transparency in administration,” the company said in its petition.

Published – October 10, 2026 10:37 AM IST