Smt. Kanta Kumawat v. State of Rajasthan & Ors., 2026
It confirms that spousal relationship alone does not create a right to access employment-related information.
Judgement Details
Court
Rajasthan High Court
Date of Decision
20 February 2026
Judges
Justice Kuldeep Mathur
Citation
Acts / Provisions
Facts of the Case
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The petitioner filed an RTI application seeking salary details/pay slips of her husband, who was an employee of the department.
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The department denied the request, stating the information was personal in nature and pertained to a third party, falling under exemptions of the RTI Act.
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The petitioner challenged the refusal, contending she had the right to access the information.
Issues
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Whether salary details of an employee constitute personal information under the RTI Act?
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Whether a spouse can access personal information of another individual under RTI without overriding public interest?
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Whether denial of the RTI application for salary details violates the principles of transparency and accountability?
Judgement
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The Court held that information regarding performance, pay, or salary of an employee falls under personal information and is protected from disclosure under RTI Act exemptions.
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Such information is primarily a matter between employer and employee, governed by service rules, and has no intrinsic connection to public activity or public interest.
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Reference was made to the Supreme Court case of Girish Ramchandra Deshpande, which supports the principle that disclosure of personal employment-related information is not obligatory under RTI without overriding public interest.
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The Court found no illegality in the State’s refusal to provide the information requested by the petitioner.
Held
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Salary and pay slip details of an employee constitute personal information under RTI.
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Such information cannot be disclosed to third parties including spouses, in the absence of overriding public interest.
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The petition was dismissed, upholding the State’s order denying access to the requested information.
Analysis
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Reinforces the exemption of personal information under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act.
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Confirms that spousal relationship alone does not create a right to access employment-related information.
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Aligns with Supreme Court jurisprudence emphasizing protection of employee privacy.
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Clarifies the distinction between transparency in governance and private employment matters.
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Prevents misuse of RTI for seeking personal or sensitive information of third parties.