IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of decision: 10.03.2026 Tejbir Singh Sidhu ….Petitioner Versus State Information Commission, Punjab and another ….Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE KULDEEP TIWARI Present: Mr. Nitin Kaushal, Advocate, and Mr. Sahil, Advocate, for the petitioner.

Mr. Siddharth Sandhu, AAG, Punjab.

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KULDEEP TIWARI, J. (Oral)

1. The petitioner, through the instant writ petition, assails the order dated 06.08.2015 (Annexure P-13), vide which, the State Information Commission, Punjab, not only, imposed a penalty of Rs.25,000/- upon him, being the Public Information Officer, but also passed a direction to initiate disciplinary proceedings against him. Further, a compensation to the tune of Rs.20,000/- was also awarded to the applicant-information seeker.

2. As per office report, notice issued to contesting-respondent No.2(i) was issued through publication, but none is present on his behalf to pursue the matter. Therefore, respondent No.2(i) is proceeded against ex parte.

3. Narrating the factual backdrop of the lis, which led the petitioner to the current stage, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that, initially, son of the applicant,