-1 of 2- IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND AT RANCHI L.P.A. No. 507 of 2023 Shivendra Kumar, Aged about- 55 years, Son of Late R.P.S. Sudhakar, Resident of – At Anantpur, Chutiya, P.O.- Doranda, P.S.- Chutia, District – Ranchi, Jharkhand. ……. Appellant / Petitioner Versus 1. The State of Jharkhand 2. The Additional Chief Secretary, School Education and Literacy Department, Government of Jharkhand, At- Project Building, P.O. & P.S.- Dhurwa, District – Ranchi. 3. State Information Commissioner, Engineers Hostel No.2, H.E.C., Premises, Dhurwa, P.O. & P.S. – Dhurwa, District – Ranchi. 4. Ajay Vid, S/o- Late Prabhakar Vid, Resident of At- Nilgiri Toli, Bundu, P.O. & P.S.- Bundu, District – Ranchi, Jharkhand. ……… Respondents / Respondents --------- CORAM: HON’BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE DEEPAK ROSHAN --------- For the Appellant: Mr. Rahul Kumar, Advocate Mr. Abhijeet Kumar Singh, Advocate For the Respondents: Mr. Mukesh Kumar Mehta, A.C. to G.P.-VI --------- 05/Dated: 20.01.2025 1) Heard the counsel for the appellant. 2) Counsel for the appellant has sought to contend that the order of the learned Single Judge confirming the order passed under Section 20(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 imposing penalty of Rs.25,000/- upon the appellant with a direction to recover the same from the salary of the appellant, is erroneous. 3) Admittedly, the information was sought from the appellant and it was his duty to furnish the information to the applicant after obtaining it from his own subordinate, but, instead of doing it, he passed on the application to his subordinate and even though the subordinate delayed the furnishing of information for about a year, the appellant -2 of 2- did nothing. Therefore, the learned Single Judge is right in holding that the appellant cannot escape any liability and he cannot invoke the clause permitting assistance of some other officer to be taken when the information was available with his own office. 4) The appeal accordingly fails and is dismissed. 5) Pending Interlocutory Applications, if any, stand disposed of. (M.S. Ramachandra Rao, C.J.) (Deepak Roshan, J.) Manoj/ Pramanik /Cp.2