The State Bank of India (SBI) has withheld information on the legal expenses paid to eminent attorney Harish Salve, who defended the Bank in the Supreme Court case involving electoral bonds.
This was in response to activist Ajay Bose’s RTI request. Bose questioned why SBI was withholding this information and disputed that the attorney’s costs were government funds.
“It is denied because it is exempt under section 8 (1) (d) of the RTI Act. The information you sought is third-party personal information held by the Bank in a fiduciary capacity, and its disclosure is exempt under Section 8(1) (e) & (j). Additionally, the information is of a commercial confidence nature.
Conclusion
Details may be disclosed in accordance with RTI Act Sections 8(1)(d) and 8(1)(e) & (j) if the relevant authority determines that disclosing such information is in the public interest.
