Delhi High Court Orders UIDAI to Provide Information of People Issued Fake Aadhaar Cards

The UIDAI has been ordered by the Delhi High Court to furnish information on over 400 people who were reportedly given fraudulent Aadhaar cards in order to participate in civil Defence training in the national capital. Justice Chandra Dhari Singh granted the Delhi government’s request for the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to provide information on Aadhar card users to an investigating agency for the purpose of a case inquiry.

The Anti-Corruption Branch filed the complaint for alleged criminal conspiracy violations under the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

“This court leans toward granting the instant petition. The respondent (UIDAI) is now ordered to furnish all relevant information, as required for the purposes of investigation under the Aadhaar Act, relating to the persons specified in annexure… of the petition.

“Upon receiving the requested information, the investigative agency is also directed to investigate the subject with full regard for the terms of the statute,” the court ruled.

According to the plea, Vijender Gupta filed a complaint with the Delhi government‘s Anti-Corruption Branch alleging that the way marshals for DTC buses were recruited was illegal.

It was also claimed that the recruiting process was rigged, with the district magistrate issuing fraudulent certifications to over 400 people from his home state of Rajasthan, certifying them as Delhi residents for the purpose of obtaining Aadhaar cards, and forcing them to pay Rs 2 lakh per head.

It was claimed that during the holidays, a significant number of Aadhaar cards with fictitious Delhi addresses were issued for persons from Rajasthan at the Aadhaar centre located in the district magistrate’s office.

In January 2020, a FIR was filed based on the complaint.

The prosecution told the court that the then-district magistrate had committed criminal misconduct by abusing his official position as a public servant with the intent of benefiting ineligible people, including roughly 450 people who had enlisted for civil Defence training with phoney Aadhaar cards.

She claimed that the information sought by the investigating agency was critical in establishing the forgery, and that the authority’s revelation of such information did not violate the cardholders’ right to privacy.

On being directed by this court, the UIDAI’s lawyer stated that the authority has no issue to providing the requested information to the extent and in the manner permitted by the Aadhar Act.