1. The only question arises in these five writ petitions is whether a Cooperative Society registered under the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies Act, 1983 is a “public authority” within a meaning of Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 (for short RTI Act)?

2. The first writ petition in W.P.No.9763 of 2008 is filed by Rasipuram Cooperative Urban Bank Limited. The other four writ petitions were filed by Illayankudi Cooperative Urban Bank Limited. In the first writ petition, initially the challenge was to the order passed by the Deputy Registrar of Cooperative Societies dated 25.02.2008. By the aforesaid order, the first respondent acting as an appellate authority under the RTI Act had directed the petitioner bank to provide information to the third respondent who is an Advocate. That writ petition was admitted on 22.04.2008. Pending the writ petition, an interim stay was granted.

3. In the second writ petition (W.P.No.24746 of 2009), initially, the challenge was to the order of the Tamil Nadu Information Commission, dated 16.11.2009, wherein and by which the Information Commission had overruled the petitioner Bank’s objection that they are not the public autho