JOIN USDelhi HC asks UIDAI to help police identify murder suspect via Aadhaar database
Reviving the debate around Aadhaar and privacy, the Delhi Police has moved the Delhi High Court to direct the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to help nab the accused in a murder case by matching a suspect’s prints and photographs with the Aadhaar database.
The UIDAI has opposed the petition, saying that there is a “complete restriction” on sharing core biometric data with anyone for any purpose as per Section 29 of the Aadhaar Act.
Justice Mukta Gupta asked the police if other available evidence could be used to identify the suspect as UIDAI could not share information to the police.
“Of course you will not supply it. You will not be sharing it. They will give you the biometric, fingerprints. If it tallies, you will tell that it will tally with this person. You will not share with them, certainly not,” the court stated according to a report by The Indian Express.
The government agency also cited a technology issue. “There is no 1:n sharing. Under the technology of Aadhaar card, it has to be done on a 1:1 basis. Only if it matches with that particulars,” advocate Nidhi Raman submitted.
The case is from 2018 when a jeweler was murdered by robbers in Delhi’s Adarsh Nagar.
“The chance prints taken from the spot were sent to the fingerprint bureau but did not match with the data bank there. No match was found for the suspect’s photographs when matched with the facial recognition system. An award of Rs 25,000 was announced to get some clues, but, despite best efforts, the accused persons were not traceable,” the police said in its petition.
The Delhi HC had asked the UIDAI in January to provide information to help a probe into a fake Aadhaar card case, in which over 400 persons were allegedly issued fake cards for enrolment in civil defence training in the national capital.
Raman submitted that the UIDAI has no objection in sharing the information being sought, to the extent and in a manner as permissible under the provisions of the Aadhaar Act, upon being directed by the court.
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