DNA India reports that a recent Right to Information Act ruling could result in making individual tax returns available to any citizen who asks for a copy. The information commissioner's decision on a request filed by Rakesh Kumar Gupta against executives of Escorts Heart Research Institute stated that, "information provided by an assessee to the department for purposes of income tax assessment is information disclosed in relation to a public activity and, therefore... section 8(1)(j) is inapplicable in the present case." The ruling, certain to be appealed, could have broad implications for private citizens.
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