New Delhi, Aug. 17 -- The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a 2011 petition seeking to declare the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) a "public authority" under the Right to Information Act.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma dismissed the petition filed by lawyer Shanmuga Patro, noting that he had not appeared before the court on the last several dates.

The petition challenged a 2010 order of the Central Information Commission (CIC), which had refused to declare the Foundation a public authority under the RTI Act.

Patro had argued that the Foundation carried out activities affecting the public and should therefore come under the RTI Act. A public authority under the law is required to provide information and follow transparency rules.

The pe...