Tamil Nadu government withdraws RTI exemption for Law and Order Department amid criticism
The government had initially issued the exemption under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act, classifying the Public (Law and Order) Department as an Intelligence and Security Organisation.
The Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn its exemption for the Public (Law and Order) Department under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, following criticism from opposition parties and political leaders. The decision, made in September 2026, classified the department as an Intelligence and Security Organisation, restricting public access to sensitive information on policing and law enforcement matters.
The revoked exemption covered areas such as police firing inquiry reports, custodial deaths, torture allegations, and communal/clash incidents. Opposition leaders, including CPM MP Venkatesan and Congress MP Karti Chidambaram, had called for the government to retract the order, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in governance.
Written by urgent.news from Live Mint's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.