Issue of identification of unknown victims of road accidents: Delhi HC asks UIDAI to respond

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has sought response of the UIDAI and the city government on the issue of identification of unknown victims of road accidents on the basis of specific characteristics available with the Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR).

The high court issued notice to the authorities on a reference received from the presiding officer of the Motor Accidents Claim Tribunal on the matter.

It issued notice to the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Delhi government and member secretary of Delhi State Legal Service Authority and asked them to file their responses in relation to the reference before the next date of hearing on September 27.

In view of the legal issue involved, vis a vis identification of unidentified dead bodies at the time of motor accidents, Prashanto Chandra Sen, senior advocate is requested to appear as Amicus Curiae and assist this court, a bench of Justices Mukta Gupta and Anish

Dayal said.

On August 3, MACT Presiding Officer Kamini Lau sent a reference under the provisions of the CrPC to the high court with a request for giving an authoritative finding on certain questions of law relating to identification of deceased victims on the basis of specific characteristics available with the CIDR, which is regulated by UIDAI, for the purposes of guidance.

The CIDR is a government agency that stores and manages data for the Aadhaar project. The CIDR maintains a centralised database in one or more locations containing all Aadhaar numbers issued to Aadhaar holders along with the corresponding demographic information and biometric information of such individuals and other information related thereto.

The MACT presiding officer said while dealing with motor accident claim cases, certain legal impediments have been noticed during investigations which also come in the way of inquiry of cases where the identity of the deceased is 'unknown'.