HINDUSTAN PETROLEUM CORPORATION LIMITED & ORS. vs MR SIDDHARTHA MUKHERJEE

Judgment text excerpt

$~P-1 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Date of decision: 01.07.2025 + W.P.(C) 13654/2023 & CM APPLs. 53920/2023, 11504/2024, 56245/2024, 66877/2024, 73838/2024, 7493/2025, 7892/2025, 7893/2025, 13923/2025, 16436/2025 HINDUSTAN PETROLEUM CORPORATION LIMITED & ORS. .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Krishnan Venugopal, Senior Advocate with Mr. Sanjay Kapur, Mr. Devesh Dubey, Mr. Surya Prakash, Mr. Avinash Mathews, Advocates. versus MR SIDDHARTHA MUKHERJEE .....Respondent Through: Dr. Puran Chand, Ms. Anita Chahal, Ms. Shashi, Advocates for respondent (in person). Mr. Surinder Kumar Virdi, Intervenor. Mr. Abhay Kumar, Amicus Curiae. CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE PRATEEK JALAN JUDGMENT 1. By way of this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution, the petitioners assail an order dated 27.09.2023 passed by the Central Information Commission [“CIC”], by which it issued show cause notices to petitioner Nos. 2 and 3 under Section 20(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 [“the RTI Act”]. Signature Not Verified Signed By:BHUPENDER Signing Date:01.07.2025 W.P.(C) 13654/2023 Page 1 of 20 16:31:32 A. FACTS: 2. Petitioner No. 1 – Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited [“HPCL”] is a Public Sector Undertaking of the Central Government. Petitioner No. 2 is a former Central Public Information Officer [“CPIO”] of HPCL, and petitioner No. 3 was its CPIO at the time of filing of the writ petition. 3. The respondent is an employee of HPCL, presently under suspension. There is some history of litigation between the parties, including a challenge by the respondent before this Court, to the suspension order dated 29.01.2021 [W.P.(C) 2974/2021]. However, the said writ petition was withdrawn on 05.03.2021. The respondent’s suspension was thereafter revoked by HPCL vide order dated 03.06.2