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+{{htmlmetatags>metatag-keywords=(pio, section, investigation, RTI Act, RTI Wiki)&metatag-description=(Section 8(1)(h) RTI Act: Investigation and Prosecution Exemp — Section 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act, 2005 exempts information that would impede the process…)}}
+====== Section 8(1)(h) RTI Act: Investigation and Prosecution Exemption — Rules and Guide (2026) ======
+<WRAP center round tip 95%>
+**Need help drafting this RTI?** Use our free **[[:tools:rti-assistant|RTI Assistant]]** — describe your problem, get a ready-to-file Section 6(1) application with your name and address pre-filled. Also handles First Appeal and Second Appeal to the CIC/SIC.
+</WRAP>
+**Section 8(1)(h) of the RTI Act, 2005 exempts information that would impede the process of investigation or apprehension or prosecution of offenders. The exemption is time-bound: once the investigation concludes and charges are filed (or the matter is closed), §8(1)(h) ceases. The PIO must show a live impedance risk.**
+{{ :social:auto:pio-section-8-1-h-investigation.png?direct&1200 |Section 8(1)(h) framework — RTI Wiki}}
+{{page>_snippets:dpdp-banner|Page> snippets dpdp banner}}
+Part of the **[[:pio-faa-knowledge-base|PIO / FAA Knowledge Base]]**.
+===== Quick Answer: Section 8(1)(h) =====
+  * **Covers** — information that would impede live investigation, apprehension or prosecution.
+  * **Time-bound** — exemption ends when investigation concludes.
+  * **Not automatic** — PIO must show //specific// impedance, not a blanket "investigation pending" label.
+  * **Concluded cases** — closure reports, charge-sheets post-filing, historical investigations — disclosable with §8(1)(g) safety redactions.
+  * **Applies to** — police, CBI, ED, SEBI, NHAI vigilance, any agency.
+===== When Does §8(1)(h) Apply? =====
+^ Situation ^ Disclosable? ^ Reason ^
+| FIR number and date (registered case) | **Yes** | FIR is public once registered — not §8(1)(h). |
+| Case-diary during live investigation | **No** | Impedes investigation. |
+| Charge-sheet filed in court | **Yes** | Filed = public; only witness-identity redactions. |
+| Closure report filed under §173(2) CrPC | **Yes** | Concluded matter. |
+| Ongoing ED search & seizure records | **No** | Live operation. |
+| Scientific-analyst report in concluded trial | **Yes** | Post-verdict, case concluded. |
+| Draft prosecution strategy memo | **No** | Impedes prosecution. |
+===== Statutory text — Section 8(1)(h) =====
+>//Section 8(1) — Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, there shall be no obligation to give any citizen, —
+>
+>(h) information which would impede the process of investigation or apprehension or prosecution of offenders;//
+===== Landmark case law =====
+  * **//Bhagat Singh v. CIC//** (Delhi HC 2007) — Foundational — §8(1)(h) narrowly construed; PIO must show specific impedance.
+  * **//CBI v. CPIO CBI//** (Delhi HC 2011) — FIRs are public; internal case files are §8(1)(h) during pendency.
+  * **//Adesh Kumar v. Union of India//** (Delhi HC 2014) — Post-decision of the investigation, §8(1)(h) ceases.
+  * **//State of UP v. Raj Narain//** (SC 1975 (cited)) — Public-interest disclosure vs investigation protection.
+Browse the **[[:cases|full case-law database — 310+ rulings]]** for more.
+===== PIO decision framework — §8(1)(h) =====
+  - **Locate the record** and determine whether §8(1)(h) even plausibly applies.
+  - **Record specific reasons** in writing linking the record to the statutory harm head.
+  - **Check §8(2) public-interest override** and record the balancing.
+  - **Sever under §10** where non-exempt portions can be released.
+  - **Issue §11 notice** if a third party's information is involved.
+  - **State the appeal route** — 30-day First Appeal under §19(1) to the FAA.
+===== Common mistakes =====
+  * **Blanket invocation** without reasoned harm analysis — fails First Appeal review.
+  * **Skipping §8(2)** — public interest must be examined even on denial.
+  * **Ignoring §10 severability** — PIO must sever and release the non-exempt part.
+  * **Generic labels** ("sensitive", "confidential") — not a substitute for a specific §8(1)(h) finding.
+  * **Out-of-date assertion** — the harm trigger may have ceased; PIO must assess //currently//.
+===== FAQs — People Also Ask =====
+**Q1. Is FIR §8(1)(h)?**
+No. FIRs are public records once registered. The investigation file that follows the FIR may be §8(1)(h) during pendency.
+**Q2. What about closed cases?**
+Closure reports and all associated files become disclosable on closure — subject to §8(1)(g) safety redactions.
+**Q3. Is a blanket "case pending" good enough?**
+No. The PIO must show specific, contemporaneous impedance.
+**Q4. Does §8(2) override §8(1)(h)?**
+Yes. Public interest in exposing cover-up, corruption, or procedural delay can displace the exemption.
+**Q5. Time limit?**
+The moment investigation concludes (charge-sheet or closure), §8(1)(h) ends.
+===== What Should You Do Next? =====
+  * **Sibling exemption frameworks:** [[:pio-section-8-1-a-sovereignty|§8(1)(a)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-b-contempt-of-court|§8(1)(b)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-c-parliament|§8(1)(c)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-d-commercial-confidence|§8(1)(d)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-e-fiduciary|§8(1)(e)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-f-foreign-relations|§8(1)(f)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-g-life-and-safety|§8(1)(g)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-h-investigation|§8(1)(h)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-i-cabinet-papers|§8(1)(i)]] · [[:pio-section-8-1-j-framework|§8(1)(j)]]
+  * **Procedure:** [[:pio-section-11-third-party|§11 — Third Party procedure]] · [[:pio-rti-reply-guide|PIO reply templates]].
+  * **Appeal review:** [[:faa-speaking-order-guide|FAA speaking-order guide]].
+  * **Full Act text:** [[:act:section-8|Section 8 of the RTI Act]] · [[:act|Full Act with DPDP 2025 overlay]].
+  * **Landmark rulings:** [[:cases|310+ curated RTI cases]].
+===== Related reading =====
+  * [[:pio-faa-knowledge-base|PIO / FAA Knowledge Base (hub)]]
+  * [[:explanations:grounds-for-rejection|All 10 grounds for RTI rejection]]
+  * [[:faa-appellate-review-checklist|Appellate review checklist]]
+  * [[:glossary|RTI Glossary — 40 essential terms]]
+===== Sources =====
+  * Right to Information Act, 2005 — §8(1)(h), §8(2), §10, §11.
+  * Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — §44(3), notified effective 14 November 2025.
+  * Supreme Court and High Court judgments cited above.
+  * CIC and State Information Commission decisions as indexed in our [[:cases|case-law database]].
+----
+//Last reviewed: 24 April 2026.//
+{{tag>pio-faa section-8 section-8-1-h rti framework}}

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