NEW DELHI: There should be no bar for an individual to write and publish a book till the time it does not compromise with the security and sovereignty of the country, the Delhi high court observed on Monday while directing the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Directorate of Intelligence to consider allowing a retired air force officer to release his book if the classified content is amended or deleted.
Justice Prathiba M Singh, while hearing a plea by former Group Captain Alok Chandra Mishra who sought permission to publish the book “Spy Catchers”, asked the authorities to hold a meeting with the officer after the former complained that he was not given permission to release his book.
The officer, who retired in 2017, had written to the air force for permission to release the book on his experiences during his years in the armed forces.
He told the court that when he did not hear from the respondents, he filed a right-to-information request to which the authorities responded that there were no guidelines to publish a book, poetry or any contribution to the literature.
Opposing the petition, advocate Shoumendu Mukherjee, appearing for the air force, told the court that the book contained classified information which hadn’t been de-classified and that the contents of the proposed book referred to ongoing cases and could jeopardise the issues.
When the petitioner’s counsel agreed to amend or delete portions from the book, the court asked the two sides to sit across a table and told the authorities to file a report.
Following this, the court asked officials of the IAF and the Directorate of Intelligence to hear the petitioner “in order to explore the possibility of whether if amendments or deletions are carried out, the book can be published”.
The court directed that a report be placed on record on this issue, further directing that the meeting between the petitioner and the officials shall be held within one month.
The matter will be heard on October 20.
