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In a sweeping order, the Andhra Pradesh Information Commission (APIC) has prohibited Tirupati-based RTI activistic and advocator Perumal Jayachandra Reddy from filing applications, appeals and complaints nether the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, citing repeated misuse of the transparency law, vexatious litigation and superior allegations of fiscal exploitation of accusation seekers.
Delivering a 20-page communal bid connected Friday (June 19, 2026), Chief Information Commissioner Vajja Srinivasa Rao dismissed 39 2nd appeals and complaints filed by Mr. Jayachandra Reddy, who represented the Legal Aid Welfare Society (LAWS), holding that the RTI Act confers the close to question accusation lone connected idiosyncratic citizens and not connected ineligible entities specified arsenic societies oregon associations.
The Commission besides directed the District Collector of Tirupati to instantly prehend records allegedly maintained by Mr. Jayachandra Reddy relating to complainants V. Lalitha Devi, B. Chandraiah and different members of the public, citing larger nationalist interest.
The bid further said each pending RTI applications, archetypal appeals and 2nd appeals filed by Mr. Jayachandra Reddy would basal closed, and directed the Commission’s registry to circulate the bid to each authorities departments, territory collectors, superintendents of police, nationalist accusation officers and appellate authorities crossed Andhra Pradesh.
The Commission said Mr. Jayachandra Reddy had filed RTI applications nether the banner of the Legal Aid Welfare Society, represented by its president and advocate, making the applications legally untenable. Referring to Section 3 of the RTI Act, the Commission said lone a “citizen” tin question information, portion a nine oregon immoderate different juristic idiosyncratic cannot assertion that status.
The bid cited respective judgments of the Supreme Court, High Courts and the Central Information Commission, to amusement the favoritism betwixt a ineligible idiosyncratic and a citizen.
The Commission further said the appellant had repeatedly invoked the “life and liberty” proviso nether Section 7(1) of the RTI Act to question accusation wrong 48 hours without demonstrating immoderate imminent menace to beingness oregon idiosyncratic liberty.
According to the order, nationalist authorities complained that Mr. Jayachandra Reddy had filed galore RTI applications seeking extended records, often concerning idiosyncratic grievances alternatively than matters of larger nationalist interest. Officials besides alleged that helium repeatedly submitted akin applications, appeals and complaints contempt having already received responses.
The Commission described respective applications arsenic speculative, repetitive and aimed astatine pressuring nationalist authorities. It besides took objection to connection successful immoderate appeals informing officials of penalties and disciplinary enactment for non-compliance, terming specified statements arsenic intimidating.
The bid referred to 2 complaints received against Mr. Jayachandra Reddy. In 1 case, a pistillate alleged that helium collected ₹1 crore for obtaining property-related records done RTI but failed to supply the documents oregon instrumentality the money. In different complaint, a antheral alleged that Mr. Jayachandra Reddy collected ₹20,000 to record an RTI exertion but did not taxable it.
Calling these allegations serious, the Commission said the RTI Act could not beryllium allowed to go a instrumentality for harassment, backstage litigation oregon fiscal gain. It held that repetitive applications could represent valid grounds for refusal and cautioned nationalist authorities against being burdened with frivolous and voluminous requests.
“Entertaining specified appeals could nary longer service the objectives of the RTI Act,” the Commission said portion dismissing each 39 cases.
