The Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur has allowed RTI activist Ajay Dubey to inspect records relating to the monthly reports sent by the state Governor to the Central government on the state's governance and political situation, a fresh development in a legal battle spanning more than 15 years. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Alpesh Y. Kogje and Justice Vivek Jain passed the order on November 2 while disposing of Writ Appeal No. 3441 of 2026 filed by Dubey.

Source: Bilkul Online

Modifying the earlier order of the single judge, the bench directed that Dubey may first inspect the record and only then specify the documents whose copies he requires. 'It is open for the appellant to approach the Public Information Officer with an application for inspection and based on such inspection, an application for supply of the documents specified therein may be filed,' the bench observed, taking note of the delay of nearly 14 years since the appellate authority's order of 2012.

Source: Live Law

A request first made in December 2011

The dispute began with an RTI application filed by Dubey on December 12, 2011, before the Public Information Officer of the Raj Bhavan Secretariat in Bhopal. He sought month-wise details of reports sent by the then Governor to the Centre from January 1, 2011 onwards regarding the activities of the Madhya Pradesh government and the political situation in the state, along with internal communications sent by the Central government to the Governor's office.

Source: Live Law

The bench modified a single judge's order dated August 17, 2026, in Writ Petition No. 18347 of 2015 and directed implementation of the First Appellate Authority's order dated February 23, 2012. The State had contended that the application did not clearly identify the specific documents whose copies were being sought.

Source: Bilkul Online

Advocates Rajesh Kumar Chand and Rohit Nanepag appeared for Dubey, while Deputy Advocate General Vivek Sharma appeared for the State. Dubey can now approach the Raj Bhavan Secretariat's Public Information Officer for inspection of the records and subsequently seek certified copies of the specific documents he identifies during that inspection.

Source: Live Law