Delhi High Court takes suo-motu cognizance of loopholes in Aadhaar verification system [Read Order]

The Delhi High Court has taken suo-motu cognizance of the loopholes existing in the Aadhaar verification system at the time of linkage with existing mobile connections, and its subsequent misuse..A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V Kameshwar Rao issued notice to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Unique Identification Authority of India in the suo-motu petition and asked them to file their counter-affidavits within four weeks..Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan and Advocate Rushab Aggarwal have been appointed Amici Curiae in the matter..The genesis of the petition lies in an FIR registered by the Delhi Police against the owner of a mobile shop for fraudulently issuing fresh sim cards in the name of individuals who had come to the shop for Aadhaar verification and linkage to their mobile numbers. This new sim was then used for the purpose of committing fraud on individuals with regard to their LIC policies..The person at the counter of the shop, on the pretext that the thumb impression has not been obtained properly the first time, would ask the customer to place his thumb once again on the biometric machine. When the thumb was placed the second time, the person at the counter would take an authorization for a fresh sim card in his name..A single Judge Bench of the High Court, while perusing the FIR at the time of granting bail to the accused persons in the case, remarked that the modus operandi has “highlighted a major loophole in the system, whereby fresh mobile connections can be issued in the name of the unwary customer, without his knowledge and consent by using his documents and biometrics.”.Observing that the loophole could “have disastrous consequences for the said individual” and have “serious repercussions on the safety and security of the nation”, the single Judge Bench held that the “issue required intervention of the Court”..The matter was then placed before the Chief Justice of the High Court, on the administrative side, for his consideration..After consideration, the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Menon directed the Registry to register a separate writ petition classified as Court on its own motion..The matter would now be heard on November 1..Read the order: