The Delhi High Court ruled on April 28 that a spouse cannot access the other's income details through the Right to Information (RTI) Act, reinforcing personal financial privacy. The court's decision arose from a case where a wife sought her estranged husband's income information to support her maintenance claim. The ruling clarified that such financial information is considered 'personal information' and is exempt from disclosure under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act unless it serves a larger public interest. The court set aside a 2021 order from the Central Information Commission (CIC) that had directed income tax authorities to disclose the husband's taxable income details. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav noted that personal financial disclosures should occur through established legal mechanisms like sworn affidavits in maintenance proceedings. This ruling underscores the importance of privacy in financial matters and indicates that legal processes are the appropriate avenue for accessing such information in matrimonial disputes, ensuring that individual privacy rights are upheld.