Bengaluru: The Karnataka high court ruled that Century Club, Bengaluru, falls under the Right to Information Act’s purview due to its receipt of 7.5 acres of land from the Kingdom of Mysore through the Maharaja in 1913. Justice Suraj Govindaraj upheld the Karnataka Information Commission’s order in this regard, stating the land grant constitutes substantial state financing. The court dismissed Century Club’s petition challenging this decision.The case originated when advocate S Umapathy requested RTI-mandated records in 2012. The club refused, claiming it wasn’t a public authority. Umapathy then approached the Karnataka Information Commission in 2013. On March 14, 2018, the Information Commission directed the club to provide the requested information.Century Club contested this, arguing it operates on member payments and isn’t a public authority under RTI. They maintained the land grant from the Maharaja, their Patron-in-Chief at the relevant time, wasn’t a govt largesse. Umapathy countered that the current value of the centrally-located land was substantial, running into crores of rupees.The court noted the 1913 land grant belonged to the Kingdom of Mysore, with no evidence suggesting it was the Maharaja’s personal property. The judge emphasised that the club’s entire operations depend on this land adjacent to Cubbon Park.Justice Suraj Govindaraj concluded that the land’s present value would amount to hundreds or thousands of crores, far exceeding member contributions. This substantial state contribution through the Kingdom of Mysore makes RTI provisions applicable to Century Club. The judgement highlighted that the club’s recreational, sports, and entertainment activities rely entirely on this granted land, without which its existence would be questionable. The court rejected Century Club’s petition to exempt itself from RTI obligations.
