The Right to Information commissioner of Maharashtra’s Konkan division has imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on a senior officer of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation for failing to provide information, forging documents and misleading the state information commission, reported the Hindustan Times.

In an order dated March 13, State Information Commissioner Shekhar Channe penalised Assistant Municipal Commissioner Kanchan Gaikwad Rs 25,000 each for four separate RTI applications filed by activist Santosh Tiwari. This is the maximum penalty allowed under the RTI Act.

Tiwari had filed four RTI applications in November 2021 seeking information about a residential building allegedly violating cooperative housing society rules. Gaikwad, who was also the public information officer for Ward 4 of the corporation, did not respond to the requests or follow an order from the first appellate authority in December 2021.

When the case reached the commission on second appeal, Gaikwad was summoned for a hearing. She claimed she had prepared a response in January 2022 but forgot to send it to Tiwari, the Hindustan Times reported. However, the commission found the explanation to be false.

Channe’s order, accessed by the Hindustan Times, states: “The reply she [Gaikwad] claims to have prepared in January 2022 has the reference of a commission summons dated January 2025. This clearly means that the ‘reply’ prepared by the officer was an afterthought and prepared only after the appeal was scheduled. Thus, the AMC has misled the commission by preparing false and fake documents, apart from her failure to provide the information…”

Channe ordered the commissioner of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation to conduct an administrative inquiry against Gaikwad.

The commission directed that the fine be recovered from Gaikwad’s salary in five equal instalments. It also ordered a departmental inquiry into the creation of the allegedly fraudulent records.

The municipal commissioner has been asked to submit an action taken report within six months.

Gaikwad did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment.

Tiwari, the applicant in the case, said that his application “was to seek information related to a high rise that was using residential space for commercial purposes”.

“Its occupation certificate too had been deferred,” said Tiwari. “I wanted to know whether the authorities had taken action against the irregularities. However, the AMC not only ignored my application, but even ill-treated me when I visited her for the information.”

Gaikwad was promoted on March 20 and appointed chief officer of the Hiwarkhed Municipal Council in Akola district.