The Uttarakhand State Information Commission ruled that citizens are entitled to know whether corruption cases have been registered against...

The Uttarakhand State Information Commission ruled that citizens are entitled to know whether corruption cases have been registered against IAS officers — a decision celebrated as a transparency milestone. The ruling came on a case filed by anti-corruption activist Sanjiv Chaturvedi, who had earlier been transferred by the Dhami government one day after his expose of an illegal eco-tourism project was published, while the accused officer was not charged. The significant fine print: departments can refuse to disclose if the investigating authority determines the information could hamper an active probe — and that authority is the department itself. Internal file notings remain entirely exempt. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who publicly declared a zero tolerance policy on corruption while facilitating Chaturvedi transfer, has not commented on the recursive structure of this arrangement.