The Allahabad High Court has imposed costs totalling ₹6.70 lakh on a Hyderabad-based man after concluding that he had misused provisions of the Right to Information Act. The court observed that the petitioner habitually made unnecessary and unsupported allegations while filing applications seeking information about judicial administration.
The petitioner, Vemula Venkata Vinay Babu, also known as Vinay Vemula, submitted 24 RTI applications to the Allahabad High Court between June 4 and July 17, 2026. The applications were filed within approximately six weeks and sought several categories of information connected with the court’s internal functioning and administrative processes.
Among the records requested were internal office notes, details about the movement of files and court attendance registers. The breadth and frequency of the applications prompted strong observations from the court, which examined whether the RTI mechanism was being used for its intended transparency purpose or as a means of repeatedly burdening the institution.
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In an order dated August 5, Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery dismissed the petitioner’s case and directed that all 24 RTI applications be consigned to the record. The court concluded that the applications and accompanying allegations amounted to an abuse of the statutory process rather than a legitimate exercise of the right to obtain public information.
The available report also states that a cost of ₹5,000 was imposed on each of the 24 applications, amounting to ₹1.20 lakh. However, it does not provide the complete calculation explaining how the court arrived at the overall figure of ₹6.70 lakh. The full order would be required to determine the precise breakdown of the amount payable.
The ruling does not diminish the importance of the RTI Act as a mechanism for accountability and public access to government-held information. It instead underlines the court’s position that applicants must use the law responsibly and avoid repetitive requests or unsupported accusations. The order may be subject to any legal remedies available to the petitioner.
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