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+{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(investigation rti pio,section 8 1 h rti,section 24 rti,fir rti,case diary rti,cbi rti,police investigation rti,rti investigation impedance)&metatag-description=(How PIOs handle RTIs on investigation, police, CBI matters — Section 8(1)(h) specific-impedance test, Section 24 corruption/HR proviso, FIR disclosure, subject-wise guidance.)}}
+====== Investigation, Police, and CBI RTIs — A PIO Playbook ======
+{{ :social:auto:pio-investigation-rti.png?direct&1200 |Investigation RTI — RTI Wiki}}
+{{page>snippets:dpdp-banner}}
+<WRAP info>
+**Scope.** RTIs touching criminal investigation, police files, CBI enquiries, and the Second-Schedule exempted organisations. Governed by Sections 8(1)(h) and 24, read together with the //Bhagat Singh// specific-impedance test.
+</WRAP>
+===== Legal framework =====
+**Section 8(1)(h)** — information that would impede the process of investigation, apprehension, or prosecution of offenders.
+**Section 24** — the Act does not apply to the intelligence and security organisations listed in the Second Schedule (CBI, IB, RAW, NIA, etc.), **except** information relating to:
+  - **Allegations of corruption**, or
+  - **Human-rights violations**.
+**Section 22** — overriding effect of the RTI Act over other secrecy laws.
+===== Key principles =====
+  * **Specific impedance, not class exemption.** //Bhagat Singh v. CIC// (Delhi HC 2008) — §8(1)(h) requires demonstrable prejudice to a specific investigation.
+  * **Temporal.** Once the investigation closes (chargesheet filed / closure report / case disposed), §8(1)(h) weakens.
+  * **Section 24 carve-back.** For corruption and HR violations, the exemption does NOT apply.
+  * **Your own FIR is your own record.** Complainant can obtain copy of own FIR under §2(f) + ground in the Code of Criminal Procedure itself.
+  * **Case diaries and witness statements** carry heavier protection until closure.
+===== Decision matrix =====
+|= Element |= Default |= Reasoning |
+| Applicant's own FIR | Disclose | Own document |
+| Third-party FIR (court-filed chargesheet) | Disclose | Public document once in court |
+| Case diary during investigation | Exempt | §8(1)(h) — integrity of investigation |
+| Case diary post-closure | Partial | Witness identity may still be protected |
+| Closure report | Disclose | Post-decisional |
+| Chargesheet | Disclose | Filed in court, public |
+| Witness statement under §161 CrPC / §173 BNSS | Exempt during trial | §8(1)(h) |
+| Sting-operation recording | Case-by-case | Balance §8(1)(h) and §8(2) |
+| CBI file on corruption allegation | Disclosable | §24 proviso |
+| CBI file on security matter | Exempt | §24 (no corruption/HR angle) |
+| Police station daily diary | Disclosable | Public record |
+===== Decision framework =====
+  - **Step 1.** Identify whether the authority is in the Second Schedule (§24).
+  - **Step 2.** If yes, ask whether the information relates to corruption or HR. If yes, the exemption does not apply; proceed as normal.
+  - **Step 3.** If not a §24 body, assess §8(1)(h) — specific impedance?
+  - **Step 4.** Apply temporal test — is the investigation live, closed, or filed in court?
+  - **Step 5.** Apply §10 severability — redact witness identities, source pointers, investigative methods.
+  - **Step 6.** Issue §11 notice to any identifiable third party (accused, victim, witness) where appropriate.
+  - **Step 7.** Speaking reply with //Bhagat Singh// citation if declining.
+===== Template — §8(1)(h) refusal =====
+<code>
+The information sought relates to an ongoing investigation in Case No. XXX registered at [Police Station/Authority]. Disclosure at this stage would [specifically identify] impede the process of investigation, apprehension, or prosecution.
+Specifically: [identify the specific impedance — witness identity protection, undisclosed modus operandi, pending custodial interrogation, etc.].
+The Delhi High Court in //Bhagat Singh v. CIC// (2008) has held that §8(1)(h) requires specific impedance, not a blanket class exemption. This Office is satisfied that the specific impedance test is met in the present facts.
+Section 8(2) balancing has been applied. No larger public interest has been pleaded that would outweigh the harm to the investigation.
+Severability under §10: The following elements that can be safely disclosed are enclosed at Annexure A — [list].
+A fresh request may be considered upon closure of the investigation / filing of chargesheet.
+Yours faithfully,
+[PIO block]
+</code>
+===== Template — §24 proviso disclosure (CBI-type) =====
+<code>
+The RTI application seeks information relating to alleged corruption at [CBI / NIA / IB / etc.]. The authority named is listed in the Second Schedule. Under the proviso to Section 24, information relating to allegations of corruption and human-rights violations is not exempt.
+This Office, as the designated CPIO of the authority, examined the records and furnishes the following: [substantive reply with §10 redactions].
+Material that goes beyond the corruption/HR allegation and touches operational intelligence is exempt under §24 and has not been included.
+</code>
+===== Subject-wise examples =====
+  * **RTI for copy of own FIR.** Disclose.
+  * **RTI for status of criminal case against my neighbour.** Disclose chargesheet / closure if filed; decline case-diary under §8(1)(h).
+  * **RTI for CBI enquiry into a public scam.** §24 proviso applies — disclose documents relating to corruption; redact operational details.
+  * **RTI for NIA file on a sensitive matter.** §24 applies; disclose only if corruption/HR angle exists.
+  * **RTI for post-trial conviction order.** Disclose (judgments are public).
+  * **RTI for ex-servicemen pension withhold on "adverse intelligence input".** Section 8(1)(g) + §24 balancing — partial disclosure possible.
+===== Case law =====
+  * //Bhagat Singh v. CIC// (Delhi HC 2008) — §8(1)(h) specific impedance.
+  * //Subhash Chandra Agarwal v. CBI// (CIC orders) — Section 24 corruption proviso.
+  * //CIC orders on CBI excluded-agency scope// — no blanket secrecy.
+===== Common mistakes =====
+  * Blanket §8(1)(h) refusal citing "investigation" without specific impedance.
+  * Denying own-FIR requests.
+  * Citing §24 for corruption matters (the proviso specifically carves this back).
+  * Not temporally updating — refusing post-closure based on old investigation status.
+  * Over-redaction that renders the reply meaningless.
+===== Pro tips =====
+  * **Coordinate with IO.** Ask the Investigating Officer in writing whether specific disclosure would impede. Record the response on the file.
+  * **Closure triggers re-assessment.** Once chargesheet is filed, earlier §8(1)(h) basis weakens.
+  * **Victim rights.** Victim's right to information about the case's progress is increasingly recognised; be generous where victim is applicant.
+  * **Redact witness identities** diligently; this is one of the legitimate uses of §10.
+===== FAQs =====
+**Q1. Can a victim get a copy of the chargesheet?**\\ Yes, once filed in court — it's a court document.
+**Q2. Can a PIO refuse an applicant's own FIR?**\\ No. Own document; disclosable.
+**Q3. Is CBI wholly outside RTI?**\\ No. Section 24 excludes CBI except for corruption and HR matters.
+**Q4. What counts as "corruption" under §24 proviso?**\\ Broadly — abuse of office for personal / improper gain. CIC orders have interpreted generously.
+===== Conclusion =====
+Investigation RTIs reward precision. A speaking reply that identifies the specific impedance, applies §24 correctly, and respects the corruption/HR proviso is almost always defensible. Blanket refusals are not.
+===== Related reading =====
+  * [[:pio-section-8-1-j-framework|Section 8(1)(j) framework]]
+  * [[:pio-supreme-court-rulings|10 landmark SC rulings]]
+  * [[:pio-high-court-rulings|10 landmark HC rulings]]
+  * [[:pio-faa-knowledge-base|PIO & FAA knowledge base]]
+===== Sources =====
+  * RTI Act, 2005, Sections 8(1)(h), 24
+  * //Bhagat Singh v. CIC// (Delhi HC 2008)
+  * CIC orders on CBI / investigation
+----
+//Last reviewed: 21 April 2026.//
+{{tag>pio investigation section-8-1-h section-24 fir cbi}}

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