Mumbai police has refused to share information on illegal immigrants detained in the City.

Mumbai police has refused to share information on illegal immigrants detained in the City to RTI Activist Anil Galgali. Sharing of such information it forbidden by law, it surprisingly claimed.

RTI Activist Anil Galgali had sought information under RTI on illegal immigrants caught & deported by the police during the last 5 years. He had also asked for details of the sections imposed on detained illegal immigrants, as well as the maximum punishment or fine imposed is such cases. This information was refused by police claiming that sharing of such information was exempted under section 24 (1) in part 6 of Right to Information Act 2005.  It claimed, details of registration, visa & other information of residents of India cannot be shared. Crime branch Senior Police Inspector Ravindra Dalvi has forwarded these notings of Senior Inspector of Special branch Ravindra Katkar.

In this case, Information about illegal stay of foreign nationals was expected, but the police officials conveniently used the protection granted to Indian nationals to refuse this otherwise summary information. When the Mumbai Police department is bound to publicly reveal such information, according to section 4 of  RTI Act, Galgali said.