CIC ordered data to be placed in public domain in response to an NGO's plea after cops allegedly asked for money as operational costs to divulge details

Delhi police comes clean on city's missing children

CIC ordered data to be placed in public domain in response to an NGO's plea after cops allegedly asked for money as operational costs to divulge details

Finally, the Delhi police has made the data of the Capital's missing children available to an NGO which was trying

to fetch the statistics with the help of an RTI plea for the last two years.

However, the then Deputy Commissioner of Police (west), Robin Hibu, and Shalini Singh, DCP (southwest) had allegedly asked RTI applicant Najma Khan to provide Rs 25,000 as operational costs to be incurred in collecting the information.

In its recent order, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Delhi police to put all related data on their website within two months. In its order CIC said: "In the present case the information sought by applicants/complainant Najma Khan is on the matter of pressing public concern. So the information should be made available free of cost and should be displayed at the website so that it becomes public."

A comprehensive affidavit recently submitted by the police in the Delhi High Court has disclosed that 2009 witnessed the highest number of children - 5,946 - going missing in the last four years. While most of the children were recovered through the efforts of the police and other means, as many as 920 are yet to be traced.

Following the court's directive, Delhi police counsel Pawan Sharma had tendered the affidavit before a Division Bench detailing the number of children who went missing since 2006, those who were later recovered and the reasons behind their disappearance.

According to the affidavit, the reasons why they went missing is "social" in nature and "were not of the kind preventable by the police".

Reena Banerjee of Nav Srishti said they had not asked for classified data; instead it was public information that they were seeking. "When other districts can cooperate why did two districts demand money for the same work?u00a0 So we went to the CIC seeking justice and finally after two years we have won the battle and the police will furnish the details."

KID YOU NOT

Najma, who works for the NGO, Nav Srishti, filed an RTI application with the Delhi police seeking details of missing and kidnapped children under the age 18, those recovered and the convictions in such cases in each police district between September 1, 2004 and August 31, 2007. While ten districts provided the information forthwith, the two DCPs demanded Rs 25,000 towards manpower expenditure in getting the data collected.
The break up for the demand was as follows: Rs 773 for one manpower day of a sub inspector, Rs 451 for engaging a head constable for a day and Rs 425 per day each for 13 constables for two days totalling Rs 12,274 for each district.
Both the districts Public Information Officers, on behalf of Hibu and Singh, mentioned in their letter that the information asked in the RTI is lengthy and time consuming to compile and a considerable strength of manpower from all ranks in the police station will be utilised to collect the same.

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