IBBI First Appellate Authority Disposes RTI Appeals Citing Delayed Response by CPIO
Overview of the Order
The First Appellate Authority (FAA) at the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has disposed of a set of RTI appeals through a consolidated order dated 1st April 2026, after examining the failure of the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) to respond within the statutorily mandated timeframe. The matter involved four appeals filed by the appellant, Balkishan Baldawa, against the CPIO of IBBI, raising concerns about non-receipt of information in connection with a complaint lodged against a resolution professional.
The order was passed by Kulwant Singh, First Appellate Authority and Executive Director, IBBI, under Section 19 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act), in respect of Appeal Registration Numbers ISBBI/A/E/26/0007, ISBBI/A/E/26/0008, ISBBI/A/E/26/0009, and ISBBI/A/E/26/00010.
Background and Facts of the Case
Nature of the RTI Application
The appellant had submitted an RTI application seeking records and details pertaining to Complaint No. IBBI/C/2025/01717, which had been filed against the resolution professional of Techindia Nirman Limited. This complaint was originally filed by the appellant pursuant to an order passed by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) dated 15.12.2025.
The information sought was directly linked to the proceedings initiated before the IBBI in furtherance of the said NCLAT direction. The appellant expected the CPIO to respond with relevant records related to the complaint's status and processing.
Filing of RTI and the Statutory Deadline
- The RTI application was filed by the appellant on 25th January 2026
- Under the provisions of the RTI Act, the statutory deadline for furnishing a response stood at 24th February 2026
- However, the CPIO's reply was dispatched to the appellant only on 19th March 2026 — nearly three weeks beyond the prescribed deadline