JUDGMENT :

1. The present writ petition has been filed for quashing the order dated 06.12.2013 passed by the respondent No.4 in Appeal No. 557/2012 (Annexure-10 to the writ petition) whereby the petitioner as a Public Information Officer despite having supplied the information to the complainant-appellant (the respondent No.5), the respondent No.4 treated his show cause reply as unsatisfactory and imposed penalty of Rs.10,000/- against him under Section 20(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 [hereinafter referred to as ‘the Act, 2005’] with a direction to the respondent No.3 as well as the District Treasury Officer, Garhwa to realise the said amount and to deposit the same in the government exchequer.

2. The main submission of learned counsel for the petitioner is that the application made by the respondent No.5 under the Act, 2005 was received in the office of the District Social Welfare Officer, Gahrwa on 20.09.2011. The petitioner was not the Public Information Officer during the said period, rather he joined as the District Social Welfare Officer, Garhwa on 04.07.2013. He thereafter supplied the information to the respondent No.5 after obtaining the same from the office of t