Punjab and Haryana HC issues notice to UIDAI over forged Aadhaar cards

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice to UIDAI over the use of Aadhaar cards containing wrong particulars, the Indian Express reported.

According to the report, the order was passed by the bench based on a plea filed by a Ferozepur-based runaway couple, who are seeking protection fearing life threat from their parents and relatives for marrying against their wishes.

When the case came up for hearing for the first time, the court was told that the girl 19 and the man was 33.

However, the bench during the hearing on March 16 was informed that while the family of the man has been contacted, no police official has visited the village of the girl to make an enquiry about her age. Dismayed over the conduct of the police, Justice Singh directed the SSP Ferozepur to file a personal affidavit as to why the police could not even investigate the age of the girl.

An Aadhaar card with the birth date January 1, 1996 was then produced before court. However, the court earlier in an affidavit attached with the petition had been told that she was born on October 5, 1998. The court was also told that age mentioned in the school register is ‘13.03.1999’.

“She submits that though petitioner no.1 is found to be above 18 years of age as per her birth certificate verified from the Additional District Registrar, Births and Deaths, Fazilka, however the date given in the copy of the Aadhaar card supplied on the last date of hearing by learned counsel for the petitioners, shows her date of birth to be 01.01.1996,” the order reads.