Delhi High Court Rules on Use of Aadhaar Data in Habeas Corpus Cases

The Delhi High Court has ruled that the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) can be directed to disclose data of a missing person in a sealed cover under exceptional circumstances. This decision was made in a habeas corpus case, stressing the urgency and confidentiality required in such matters.

In a landmark ruling, the Delhi High Court has stated that the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) may be directed to present data of a missing individual in a sealed cover under exceptional circumstances.

The court emphasized the urgency and necessity in habeas corpus cases, where the missing person could be in imminent danger. The decision was based on a case where a daughter sought direction to police for producing her mother, missing since May 2019, whose Aadhaar data had been recently updated.

Despite privacy laws affirmed in the Supreme Court's K S Puttuswamy judgment, the bench, comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma, highlighted that certain urgent situations warrant exceptional actions to ensure the individual's safety.

(With inputs from agencies.)