RTI for Chhattisgarh High Court Registry — Certified Copies, Legal Aid and Administrative Records

Citizens of Chhattisgarh who have matters before the Chhattisgarh High Court — or who need certified copies of its orders, information about legal aid from its Legal Services Committee, cause list records, or administrative data — have a legally enforceable right to this information under the Right to Information Act, 2005. The Chhattisgarh High Court Registry, as a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005, is required to respond within 30 days, designate Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs), and provide a structured appeals mechanism culminating in the Chhattisgarh State Information Commission (CGSIC).

The Chhattisgarh High Court: Origin, Bilaspur Seat, and Jurisdiction

Establishment on 1 November 2000

The Chhattisgarh High Court came into existence on 1 November 2000, the same day the State of Chhattisgarh itself was created by the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2000 (Act No. 28 of 2000). Prior to that date, the territory that now forms Chhattisgarh was part of undivided Madhya Pradesh, and appellate judicial matters from the Chhattisgarh divisions were handled by the Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur. The Jabalpur High Court had jurisdiction over all 16 districts that formed the Chhattisgarh region — from Sarguja and Jashpur in the north to Bastar and Dantewada in the south — along with the considerably larger territory of the rest of Madhya Pradesh.

When Parliament enacted the MP Reorganisation Act, 2000, it not only bifurcated the state but also provided under Article 214 of the Constitution for the establishment of a separate High Court for the new state of Chhattisgarh. On the appointed day — 1 November 2000 — the Chhattisgarh High Court was formally constituted at Bilaspur, with its own Registrar General, its own complement of judges transferred from the MP High Court, and its own administrative and registry establishment. Justice R. S. Garg was sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court.

The separation of the Chhattisgarh High Court from the Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur is complete and permanent: the two courts are wholly distinct public authorities with separate registries, separate CPIO designations, and separate appellate hierarchies under the RTI Act. If your case was filed after 1 November 2000 and involves a matter within Chhattisgarh, the relevant authority is the Chhattisgarh High Court at Bilaspur — not the Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur. For matters that predated the bifurcation and were pending in the Jabalpur High Court, records may be split; it is advisable to specify this in your RTI application.

Why Bilaspur and Not Raipur?

One of the first questions that arises for RTI applicants — and for anyone dealing with the court — is why the High Court is located at Bilaspur when Raipur is the state capital of Chhattisgarh. This is not an administrative anomaly unique to Chhattisgarh; it is a pattern that exists in several other states (the Allahabad High Court sits at Prayagraj, not the capital Lucknow; the Bombay High Court at Mumbai has jurisdiction over Goa and parts of Maharashtra with Nagpur and Aurangabad benches; the Gauhati High Court at Guwahati serves the North-East). However, the Bilaspur choice has a specific historical rationale.

Pre-independence judicial infrastructure at Bilaspur: Under British administration, the Chhattisgarh division was administered as part of the Central Provinces and Berar. Bilaspur was the headquarters of the Chhattisgarh division and — critically — the seat of the Chief Commissioner's Court of Bilaspur, which exercised appellate civil and criminal jurisdiction over the Chhattisgarh region for decades. This meant that Bilaspur had a well-developed legal infrastructure well before independence: a large established bar, multiple court buildings, experienced court clerks and ministerial staff, and a tradition of hosting significant judicial proceedings.

The Bilaspur Judicial Commissioner's Court: Through the decades of undivided Madhya Pradesh, Bilaspur continued to function as an important judicial centre. A Judicial Commissioner's Court at Bilaspur exercised appellate jurisdiction for the Chhattisgarh region in certain categories of matters, providing an additional tier of justice closer to the people of Chhattisgarh rather than requiring all appeals to travel to Jabalpur. This court and the institutional memory, physical infrastructure, and professional bar it created made Bilaspur the natural location for the new High Court.

Raipur as the administrative capital: Raipur became the administrative and political capital of Chhattisgarh — it is where the state legislature, the secretariat, the Governor's residence, and the principal government ministries are located. But in the Indian constitutional framework, a High Court is not required to co-locate with the executive capital, and practical considerations of existing judicial infrastructure and the convenience of the established legal community prevailed in favour of Bilaspur.

Practical consequence for RTI applicants: All Registry functions of the Chhattisgarh High Court — the CPIO, the First Appellate Authority, the copying section, the filing section — are located at Bilaspur-495001. RTI applications sent to Raipur will not reach the High Court Registry and will be delayed or misdirected. Always address RTI applications and first appeals to Bilaspur-495001.

Jurisdiction: All of Chhattisgarh

The Chhattisgarh High Court has original, appellate, and supervisory jurisdiction over the entire State of Chhattisgarh — all its districts, all subordinate courts (district courts, civil courts, criminal courts, revenue courts, family courts), and all tribunals functioning under state authority. As of 2026, Chhattisgarh comprises 33 districts, several of which are in areas that present a complex judicial picture involving forest rights, tribal land laws, mining disputes, and internal security matters.

The Chhattisgarh Legal Landscape: Key Case Categories

Chhattisgarh's judicial docket reflects the state's distinctive geographic, demographic, and economic character. Understanding this context helps an RTI applicant frame precise requests and anticipate the type of records involved.

Tribal land rights and CNT/SPT Act litigation: Chhattisgarh has a substantial tribal population, particularly in the Bastar, Surguja, and Bilaspur divisions. The Chhattisgarh Tenancy Act (formerly the Central Provinces Tenancy Act) and related laws provide special protection for tribal land holdings. Challenges to land acquisition, forest land diversion, and alienation of tribal lands are a significant category of writ petitions before the High Court, often involving the intersection of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 (Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Recognition of Forest Rights Act) and revenue land records.

Mining and SECL/NLC coal litigation: Chhattisgarh sits above some of India's largest coal reserves. The South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, operates extensively across the state, as does NLC India Limited (formerly Neyveli Lignite Corporation). Mining lease disputes, compensation claims for land acquisition under the coal mining programme, challenges to environmental clearances for new mines, and service matters involving SECL and NLC employees form a distinct category of litigation. For RTI purposes, this means requests for court orders in mining-related matters, injunction orders against specific mining operations, or administrative information about how such cases are listed.

Naxal-affected district cases and SPO/ex-Salwa Judum litigation: Several districts in the Bastar division — Dantewada, Bastar, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Sukma, and Kanker — were significantly affected by left-wing extremism, and the High Court has historically handled a range of cases arising from this context: bail applications and habeas corpus petitions involving arrests under special laws (UAPA, CrPC preventive detention), compensation claims from victims of violence, and challenges to the operations and disbandment of the Salwa Judum (a civilian vigilante group) and the system of Special Police Officers (SPOs). The Supreme Court's landmark order in Nandini Sundar v. State of Chhattisgarh (2011) dealing with Salwa Judum arose from proceedings that were connected to the Chhattisgarh High Court's own docket. RTI applicants seeking orders in security-sensitive proceedings should note that some records may involve security exemptions under Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act.

Forest rights under FRA 2006: The Chhattisgarh High Court has heard numerous petitions concerning the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006 — claims by forest-dwelling communities for recognition of their forest rights, challenges to eviction orders, and disputes over the process of gram sabha resolutions recognising individual and community forest rights. These cases involve the intersection of forest law, tribal rights law, and administrative law, and the orders passed in them are significant for forest communities across the state.

Constitutional challenges involving tribal governance: The Fifth Schedule to the Constitution extends its provisions to large parts of Chhattisgarh, creating a layer of constitutional protections around tribal governance and land. The Governor's powers under the Fifth Schedule, the functioning of Tribal Advisory Councils, and the applicability of state legislation to scheduled areas generate a category of constitutional challenges that are litigated before the High Court.

What You Can Obtain Through RTI from the Chhattisgarh High Court Registry

The RTI Act applies to the administrative and registry functions of the Chhattisgarh High Court. The distinction between administrative function (covered by RTI) and judicial deliberation (not covered) is fundamental and is discussed separately below. Within the administrative domain, the following categories of information are regularly accessible through RTI.

Certified Copies of Judgments and Orders

A certified copy is a copy of a court record bearing the court's seal and the countersignature of an authorised registry official, certifying it as a true copy of the original on the court file. Certified copies are required for filing appeals before the Supreme Court, for execution of decrees, and for use as evidence in other proceedings.

The standard route is a direct application at the Copying Section of the High Court Registry at Bilaspur — this is faster and cheaper in most cases and produces a court-sealed copy within the time prescribed by the Chhattisgarh High Court Rules. RTI becomes relevant when:

• The standard certified copy application is significantly delayed beyond the prescribed time
• The applicant is not a party to the proceedings and is uncertain whether the standard copying procedure applies to them
• The applicant needs to confirm that a specific order was passed on a stated date before investing in the formal copying fee
• The order is old and there is uncertainty about whether the physical file has been archived or transferred

Through RTI you can obtain:

• A certified copy of a specific order or judgment, identified by case number, year, and the date of the order
• Confirmation of whether a particular order was passed on a specific date
• The operative part (the dispositive directions) of a judgment, even without the full reasoned text

Cause List Records

The daily cause list of the Chhattisgarh High Court lists every case scheduled for hearing on that day, the bench before which it is listed, and the purpose of the listing. Current cause lists are published on the High Court website and the eCourts portal. RTI is particularly useful for obtaining archived cause lists for past dates — establishing that a matter was or was not listed on a specific date, confirming which bench heard a matter, or identifying the stated purpose of listing (admission, final hearing, orders, contempt, etc.).

Case Filing and Registration Details

• Date of filing and date of registration of a case — these may differ if the registry raised office objections before formally registering the petition
• Court fees paid at the time of filing — amount and receipt number
• Office objections raised by the registry at filing and whether and when they were complied with
• Defect notices and compliance records
• Whether a caveat has been lodged by any party in a pending matter

High Court Legal Services Committee (HCLSC) Records

The High Court Legal Services Committee (HCLSC) of Chhattisgarh is constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to organise free legal services at the High Court level. It provides legal representation and aid before the High Court to persons eligible under the criteria in the Act, which include:

• Women and children
• Members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes — a particularly significant category in a state with large tribal populations
• Persons in custody
• Persons whose annual income is below the prescribed limit
• Victims of mass disasters, communal violence, floods, industrial disasters
• Persons with disabilities
• Victims of trafficking

In the Chhattisgarh context, the HCLSC's role in providing legal aid to tribal litigants, forest rights claimants, and persons from Naxal-affected districts in accessing the High Court is especially significant. Through RTI you can obtain:

• The total number of legal aid applications received in a given financial year
• The eligibility criteria currently in force, with copies of relevant circulars
• The number of beneficiaries served, broken down by category (women, SC/ST, persons in custody, etc.)
• Information about empanelled advocates — whether any publicly available list of empanelled lawyers exists
• The budget allocated and expenditure incurred by HCLSC for a given financial year

Court Administrative Budget and Expenditure

The Chhattisgarh High Court as an institution receives budget from the State Government for administrative functioning — salaries of ministerial and support staff, building maintenance, information technology, library, and infrastructure. This is an administrative record fully accessible under RTI. You can request:

• Sanctioned budget and actual expenditure under major heads for a specified financial year
• Details of specific projects such as digitisation, e-filing infrastructure, or new court construction
• Information about contracts awarded for IT systems or physical infrastructure at Bilaspur

Case Pendency Statistics

The High Court publishes some pendency data through the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG). RTI can supplement this with more granular or more current data:

• Total pending cases as of a specific date, broken down by case type
• Cases pending beyond a specified period — for example, cases more than five or ten years old
• Annual institution, disposal, and pendency statistics

Administrative Orders and Circulars

The Registrar General issues administrative circulars and practice directions governing filing procedures, listing procedures, the functioning of the Registry, and the conduct of proceedings. These include:

• Practice directions on e-filing requirements
• Circulars on changes to listing procedures or bench composition
• Orders on the constitution of benches and allocation of subject categories
• Seniority lists and promotion orders for ministerial staff

What RTI Cannot Obtain: The Judicial Function Distinction

This is the single most important limitation to understand before filing RTI with the High Court Registry.

Section 8(1)(b) and Judicial Deliberations

Section 8(1)(b) of the RTI Act exempts "information which has been expressly forbidden to be published by any court of law or tribunal or the disclosure of which may constitute contempt of court." Beyond the specific statutory text, the constitutional principle of judicial independence protects judicial deliberation — the internal decision-making process by which judges arrive at their orders and judgments — from disclosure under RTI.

The following cannot be obtained through RTI:

• Draft judgments — orders or judgments not yet formally pronounced in open court
• Chambers notes or judicial notings that did not form part of a formal order entered in the court record
• Inter-judge correspondence or deliberations of a bench before passing an order
• Judicial reasoning in progress — bench observations during a hearing that did not crystallise into a formal order
• Case diaries or internal noting files that reflect the judicial thought process before pronouncement

The distinction is between the output of judicial process — the pronounced order or judgment, which is a public administrative record — and the process of judicial decision-making, which is constitutionally protected. Obtaining a certified copy of a final pronounced judgment through RTI is entirely legitimate and does not engage Section 8(1)(b). The exemption is relevant only when a request is directed at the internal deliberative process.

In-Camera and Sensitive Proceedings

In matrimonial matters, proceedings under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, cases involving minors, and matters where the court has expressly directed proceedings to be held in camera, records of the proceedings and the identities of parties may be exempt under Section 8(1)(j) (personal information with no public interest connection).

What Remains Fully Accessible

Despite these limitations, the following are fully accessible under RTI:

• Final orders and judgments pronounced and entered in the court record
• Registry administrative records — filing registers, fee receipts, office objection files
• Listing information — cause list entries, bench composition on a given date, dates of hearing
• HCLSC legal aid administrative records — applications, beneficiaries, eligibility criteria, budget
• Staff administrative information — seniority lists, recruitment advertisements, promotion orders
• Budget and expenditure data of the court as an institution
• Pendency statistics and disposal data
• Practice directions and administrative circulars issued by the Registrar General

How to File RTI with the Chhattisgarh High Court Registry

Online Through rtionline.gov.in

RTI applications to the Chhattisgarh High Court can be filed online through the national RTI portal at rtionline.gov.in, operated by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Government of India:

1. Visit rtionline.gov.in and create or log in to your account.
2. Under the ministry/department selection, navigate to the Chhattisgarh High Court or the relevant Registry section.
3. Complete the online application form, setting out the specific information you seek.
4. Pay the ₹10 fee through the online payment gateway. BPL cardholders may upload a self-attested copy of their BPL card and claim exemption.
5. Submit and note your registration number — the 30-day response period under Section 7(1) runs from the date of receipt by the CPIO.

By Post to the High Court Registry, Bilaspur

For postal filings, send by speed post or registered post:

The Central Public Information Officer, Registry of the Chhattisgarh High Court, Bilaspur – 495001, Chhattisgarh.

Enclose a crossed Indian Postal Order (IPO) for ₹10 drawn in favour of the Registrar General, Chhattisgarh High Court. Retain the postal receipt — it establishes the date of dispatch and is essential for any First Appeal based on non-response.

The Chhattisgarh High Court's Own RTI Rules

The Chhattisgarh High Court, as a competent authority under Section 28 of the RTI Act, has framed its own rules for implementing the RTI Act within the institution. Under these rules, separate CPIOs are designated for different sections of the Registry — the filing section, the listing section, the records room, the copying section, the administrative section, and the HCLSC may each have a designated CPIO. If you know which section holds the relevant records, address your application to the CPIO of that section. If you are unsure, address it to the CPIO of the Registrar General's office — the application will be transferred internally under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act to the appropriate officer.

An important note on CPIO structure: Because the Chhattisgarh High Court is its own competent authority under Section 28, it may have fee and procedural rules that supplement (but do not contradict) the central RTI Fee Rules. The application fee remains ₹10. Review the court's RTI rules on its official website before filing to confirm the correct CPIO designation and any specific procedural requirements.

Fee and Timeline

Application fee: ₹10 under the RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. Citizens holding a valid BPL (Below Poverty Line) card are exempt from this fee under Section 7(5) of the RTI Act and must attach a self-attested copy of their BPL card with the application.

Response period: 30 days from the date of receipt of the application by the CPIO, under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005. If the application is transferred to another section or officer under Section 6(3), the 30-day period runs from the date of receipt at the correct office, subject to the transfer not exceeding five days.

Urgent life and liberty matters: Where the information sought concerns the life or liberty of a person — for example, confirming that a bail order was passed, establishing the terms of a stay on a custody or detention order, or obtaining an order releasing a person from custody — the CPIO must respond within 48 hours under the proviso to Section 7(1) of the RTI Act.

Additional fees: If the information requires supply of photocopies beyond a certain volume, the CPIO may charge ₹2 per page at the rate prescribed under the applicable rules. The CPIO must communicate the additional fee demand in writing and give the applicant the opportunity to pay or to appeal against the fee demand before levying the charge.

First Appeal — Section 19(1)

If the CPIO:

• Does not respond within the 30-day period (or 48 hours for life and liberty matters)
• Provides an incomplete, evasive, or incorrect response
• Refuses to disclose information without adequate legal justification under the RTI Act

you may file a First Appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) within the Chhattisgarh High Court. The FAA is typically the Registrar General or a Registrar specifically designated as FAA — in either case, an officer senior in rank to the CPIO.

Deadline: The First Appeal must be filed within 30 days of the date of the CPIO's decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. No fee is payable. The condonation of delay clause allows the FAA to entertain late appeals if sufficient cause is shown.

What to attach: A copy of the original RTI application, postal proof of dispatch and delivery (or the online registration number and any acknowledgement), and the CPIO's response if any was received.

The FAA must dispose of the First Appeal within 30 days of receipt, extendable to 45 days with recorded reasons.

Second Appeal to the Chhattisgarh State Information Commission (CGSIC) — Section 19(3)

If the FAA also fails to respond or the response remains unsatisfactory, you may escalate to a Second Appeal under Section 19(3) of the RTI Act.

The correct forum is CGSIC — not CIC. The Chhattisgarh High Court is a state public authority of the Government of Chhattisgarh, constituted under Article 214 of the Constitution. Second appeals against state public authorities in Chhattisgarh go to the Chhattisgarh State Information Commission (CGSIC), constituted under Section 15 of the RTI Act, 2005. Filing a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC) in New Delhi would be a jurisdictional error: the CIC has authority only over bodies established or controlled by the Central Government, and it will dismiss a Second Appeal against the Chhattisgarh High Court Registry for lack of jurisdiction.

Timeline: Second Appeal must be filed within 90 days of the FAA's decision, or within 90 days of the date by which the FAA's decision should have been made. CGSIC may entertain late appeals where sufficient cause for the delay is shown.

Powers of CGSIC: On receiving a Second Appeal, CGSIC can:

• Direct the CPIO to disclose the information that was withheld
• Impose a penalty of ₹250 per day on the CPIO for each day of unjustified default, up to a maximum of ₹25,000 under Section 20
• Recommend departmental disciplinary action against the errant CPIO
• Award compensation to the complainant where the CPIO's conduct caused demonstrable loss or detriment

Penalty Under Section 20

Section 20 of the RTI Act authorises CGSIC to impose a personal fine on a CPIO who:

• Failed to respond within the statutory time without reasonable cause
• Denied an RTI request in bad faith
• Provided knowingly incorrect or misleading information
• Destroyed records that were the subject of an RTI request
• Obstructed the processing of an RTI application in any manner

The penalty is ₹250 for each day of default, up to a maximum of ₹25,000, recovered from the CPIO's personal salary — not from the court's institutional budget. CGSIC may also recommend disciplinary proceedings under the applicable service rules. These provisions ensure that the RTI mechanism carries real enforcement weight.

Alternatives to RTI for Chhattisgarh High Court Information

Before filing RTI, assess whether your need can be satisfied faster through existing public channels.

eCourts Portal and National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG)

The eCourts portal at ecourts.gov.in provides real-time case status for the Chhattisgarh High Court and all subordinate courts in the state. You can search by:

• CNR (Case Number Record) — the unique eCourts case identifier
• Case type and number
• Party name
• Advocate name

The National Judicial Data Grid at njdg.ecourts.gov.in aggregates pendency and disposal statistics across all courts in India, including the Chhattisgarh High Court. For basic case status and current pendency figures, these portals provide near-real-time information without the 30-day RTI wait.

Direct Application for Certified Copies

The fastest route to a certified copy of a pronounced order or judgment is a formal certified copy application at the Copying Section of the High Court Registry, Bilaspur. The Chhattisgarh High Court Rules prescribe the format, fee, and timeline. RTI is the appropriate backup when this process is significantly delayed or when the applicant needs to establish accountability for the delay.

High Court Website

The Chhattisgarh High Court maintains an official website with daily cause lists, a judgment database, registry circulars, and administrative notices. Check the website first for administrative orders and practice directions that may already be publicly available before incurring the 30-day RTI wait.

Practical Tips for Chhattisgarh Citizens

Always address applications to Bilaspur, not Raipur: The Registry, all CPIOs, and the First Appellate Authority are at Bilaspur-495001. Applications sent to the state capital Raipur or to any other address will not reach the High Court Registry and will cause avoidable delays.

Use the complete Chhattisgarh High Court case number format: Include the case type abbreviation, number, and year. Common abbreviations include: WP(C) for Writ Petition (Civil), WP(Cr) for Writ Petition (Criminal), FA for First Appeal, CA or CrA for Criminal Appeal, MCC for Miscellaneous Civil Case. Including the correct type and the full number minimises the risk of the Registry being unable to locate the record.

Provide the exact date of the order you need a copy of: For certified copy requests, identify the order by its precise date. A request for "all orders passed" in a multi-year matter is overbroad and will likely result in a demand for additional fees that delays the process.

Invoke the 48-hour proviso explicitly for life and liberty matters: If the information concerns a bail order, a habeas corpus order, or any order affecting personal freedom or custody, include the sentence: "This request relates to information concerning the life and liberty of a person. I request a response within 48 hours under the proviso to Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005."

For tribal land rights, FRA, and Naxal-affected district cases — state the security dimension carefully: Requests for certified copies of final orders in such matters are routine and unproblematic. However, avoid framing requests in a way that seeks information about security operations or materials that could attract Section 8(1)(a) (national security) exemptions. Keep your request focused on the court record — the order, the listing, the filing details — rather than on broader security intelligence.

For HCLSC queries, address the relevant HCLSC section: If your RTI is specifically about the High Court Legal Services Committee's legal aid records, indicate this clearly in the application heading and identify the specific HCLSC section or CPIO if separately designated. This avoids the application being routed to a general Registry section that does not hold HCLSC records.

Do not ask about judicial deliberations: Frame questions around records held by the Registry — dates, filing details, fees, cause list entries, administrative orders — and not around the reasoning process or internal discussions of judges. Questions such as "why did the bench decide this way" or "what did the judge note before passing the order" target the constitutionally protected domain of judicial deliberation and will be refused under Section 8(1)(b).

Keep all postal receipts and registration numbers: Whether you file online (preserve the registration number) or by post (retain the speed post or registered post receipt), these documents are your legal proof of the date of submission. They are essential for calculating the 30-day response window and for filing appeals based on non-response.

Check the Chhattisgarh High Court's own RTI rules: The court has framed rules under Section 28 specifying internal procedures, the designated CPIOs for each Registry section, and any supplementary fee and timeline provisions. Reviewing these rules before filing helps you identify the correct CPIO and section, which saves time and avoids internal transfers that extend the response period.