Ahmedabad: The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has clarified that private universities established under the Gujarat Private Universities Act, 2009, fall within the scope of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. Responding to an RTI appeal filed by Prof. Devdutt Rana against Vadodara-based Parul University, the commission stated that such institutions qualify as "public authorities" as defined under Section 2(h) of the Act. In an order issued by State Chief Information Commissioner Su...Read More

Surat: Prakash Desai, a former corporator known as a popular leader in the Udhna area, has been arrested from his home in a dramatic fashion for extorting three lakh rupees. The arrest followed complaints that Desai was threatening to demolish a four-story building owned by the operator of the well-known Leo Classes, using continuous RTIs and applications. He was caught red-handed by the SOG (Special Operations Group) while accepting the extortion money. A video of his arrest has s...Read More

Surat: As part of an ongoing campaign against RTI activists and bogus journalists involved in extortion and intimidation under the guise of activism, Sachin GIDC police have filed two separate complaints against Jashwant Brahmabhatt. According to the complaints, Brahmabhatt allegedly threatened two industrialists, demanded ₹50,000 from each, and extorted ₹15,000 from them. Despite receiving the money, he continued making threats and demanded more, prompting a formal complaint at the request ...Read More

Kevadia Colony: - The construction of a long-awaited paved road in Junaraj village, which began after 75 years of independence, has been abruptly halted following an RTI (Right to Information) query filed by an individual from Naswadi. This has led to widespread discontent among villagers and sparked a debate about the misuse of the RTI Act. The road project, spanning 14 kilometers through a forested area, was sanctioned by the government with a budget of ₹22 crore for the benefit of the loca...Read More

Surat: The Surat Police on Wednesday registered four more cases against individuals accused of extorting municipal officials and builders under the guise of RTI journalism. Complaints were filed against Shakir Sheikh of Alert News, Mushtaq Habib of Seven Seas News, and Syed Habib of Samachar Manch at Lalgate, Mahidharpura, and Athwa Lines police stations. Surat East Assembly MLA Arvind Rana had earlier approached the Police Commissioner and Chief Minister, demanding strict action against the ex...Read More