Aadhaar centre employees quizzed in data breach case

The Delhi police have recorded statements of employees of an Aadhaar centre, which is running from the Surat Collector's office in Gujarat, in connection to the alleged Aadhaar data breach case, officials said today.

Surat's Resident Additional Collector S D Vasava told PTI that a Delhi Police team visited the district around two weeks ago.

During the visit, the Delhi Police personnel did not contact any senior official of the Surat collectorate and left after taking statements of the staff working at the Aadhaar centre, he said.

"Some police officials from Delhi visited Surat around two weeks ago in connection to the probe. They took copies of government documents related to private agencies which were hired by us for posting supervisors and operators for Aadhaar centres," Deputy Mamlatdar (Planning) Mahendra Dave said.

The revenue department official claimed that he did not know whether the police took any private staffer of the Aadhaar centre to Delhi for questioning.

"Supervisors and operators are usually hired through outsourcing. They are not government employees. That might be the reason why the police collected those documents to find out the agency which had deployed its men," said Dave.

He said the password to open the 'Aadhaar registration kit' usually remains with a senior official.

Vasava also said he was not aware if anyone was summoned for questioning by the Delhi Police. "They left after taking statements of some persons working in the office. They have not contacted us or given details about the probe. They did not meet us. I am not aware if anyone was served notice to present himself before the Delhi police," he said.

Vasava said the Delhi police did not mention anything about the misuse of password or involvement of any staff member working at the centre inside the collectorate.

In January this year, the Delhi Police had registered an FIR based on UIDAI official's complaint in connection with a report published in Chandigarh-based 'The Tribune' newspaper on the breach of details of the over one billion Aadhaar cards.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) manages the Aadhaar project under which individuals are allotted a 12-digit unique identification number.