In a landmark development toward transparency and accountability in judicial administration, the Uttarakhand High Court has disclosed that 258 complaints were filed against judges and judicial officers of the state between January 2020 and April 2025. The data was obtained through an RTI filed by none other than a whistleblower, Magsaysay Award-winning Indian Forest Service officer Sanjiv Chaturvedi (IFoS:2002:HY).
The High Court’s vigilance cell released the information after directions from the State Information Commission.
Under the Right to Information Act, the Public Information Officer of the High Court said that formal action has been initiated against four judicial officers out of these 258 complaints.
The disclosure is being interpreted as a rare instance of a High Court sharing information about complaints related to judicial misconduct because this is an area that is usually kept confidential.
Chaturvedi’s first RTI application was filed in May 2023, seeking details about which authorities handle corruption complaints and how many such complaints were received. The request was initially rejected by the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the High Court, who cited “confidentiality” and “third-party information” as reasons. Even after a first appeal, the information was not provided.
But it was the intervention by State Chief Information Commissioner Radha Raturi that changed the scenario, and the matter moved forward. During a hearing, the High Court’s PIO said specific details could not be shared but agreed that overall figures could be disclosed with approval from the Chief Justice.
It was in January this year that the Commission directed the PIO to obtain clearance and provide the data, ruling that the “aggregate number” of complaints should be made public to maintain a balance between privacy and the public’s right to know.
Legal experts say the decision could set an important example. They say this step is a significant milestone, as several other High Courts, including those in Delhi, Chennai, and Chhattisgarh, have previously refused to share similar data.
The ramification of the disclosure apart, the development marks another successful effort by Chaturvedi, who has been working to bring in transparency and fight corruption in public institutions.
Join Us on WhatsApp