TN man floods RTI panel with queries on his ex-GF

Information commissioner rejects 97 RTI petitions with 1,887 questions

CHENNAI: “Is my ex-girlfriend in a relationship with another person?” “How many men did she cheat on? Is she married? Where does she live and work?” This is how a Villupuram-based youth bombarded the police department and then filed at least 1,887 queries under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.Livid at the 97 RTI petitions containing 1,887 questions, information commissioner V P R Elamparithi rejected them and issued a stern warning to the appellant, A Santhosh of Villupuram, who had the audacity to appear in person before the state information commission to put forth his ‘arguments’ on Tuesday.“We will be forced to send you to undergo medical counselling if further such mindless RTI pleas in contempt of the Act are filed,” the commissioner said in his detailed order dated Thursday.Additional superintendent of Cuddalore district police, who is the public information officer, informed the commission that Santhosh was in a relationship with his collegemate in 2024 and they broke up after passing out of college. But he harassed her through phone calls and social media, after which she attempted suicide and was admitted to govt hospital for treatment in June 2025.The PIO also informed the commission that the girl had lodged a harassment complaint against Santhosh and furnished a copy of her complaint.

After police inquired them by issuing a CSR, Santhosh started badgering the police station with RTI queries. In one of the pleas, he asked 179 queries which asked 68 questions seeking CCTV camera footage of certain dates, while other queries were surrounding the girl’s personal life, including whether she was alive and how many men she was in a relationship with.Recording the submission, commissioner Elamparithi said the RTI Act is a powerful weapon to a common man and has been effectively used to expose corruption and ensure individual’s right over the system. “But there can’t be a better plea than this to highlight how the RTI Act has been abused since the petitioner has gone to the extent of seeking a photo of the girl concerned under the RTI Act,” the commissioner noted.

Following submission from Santhosh that he would approach the court to seek justice, the commission closed the petition.