The Income Tax returns of individuals do not enjoy "absolute ban" from disclosure, the Central Information Commission has held while directing the Income Tax department to provide details of the total income of a person to his son-in-law who is facing a dowry case.

"We direct the CPIO to provide information pertaining to the net taxable income of Munna Lal Saini, father-in-law of the appellant," Information Commissioner Deepak Sandhu said.

The case relates to RTI application filed by Manoj Kumar Saini, who sought to know net income of his father-in-law Munna Lal Saini from the I-T department as he needed it to buttress his arguments in a dowry case filed against him. It was denied to him citing clause of "personal information" under the RTI Act.

Manoj made an "impassioned" plea before the Commission stating "denial of information to him would result in a prolonged litigation of 10 years and more resulting in his losing the best years of his life and career."

Indian Express